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Over the years, artists have become experts at designing little worlds that are contained within everyday objects. After all, with mini sculptures, they have the power to create an entire universe that fits in the palm of their hand. Michelle Briones, a Portland-based mixed media artist, has taken this idea and run with it, sculpting her handmade mugs to look like cozy miniature fireplaces.
At first glance, you might not notice anything particularly unusual about Briones’ mugs, aside from the spectacular skill needed to create them. But upon closer inspection, you will start to realize the delicate chiseled brick pattern that is carved into the surface. And if you turn the cup, you will be greeted by the sight of a tiny little fireplace, with miniature logs of wood tucked into the hearth to keep the fire roaring.
The cozy fireplace scenes that Briones sculpts and paints on her pottery look like they came out of the wall of a miniature home. In addition to the brick façade that forms the fireplace, many of her mugs are also painted with a wallpaper-like design surrounding it, reminiscent of a decoration that belongs in an older family home. But the resemblance doesn’t stop there. Tiny shelves filled with mementos and decorations, and mini picture frames holding beloved paintings also dot the makeshift “walls,” providing the space with a lived-in feeling. The fireplace may be the heart of the home, but these other details radiate warmth.
Some of Briones’ specialty mugs are also holiday-themed, and that is where the artist’s creativity really shines. In one of her Christmas-themed designs, Briones has lovingly lined the fireplace with a row of stockings and garland. It doesn’t get much more quintessentially Christmas than that, and the mug is practically begging the viewer to drink eggnog out of it. Briones’ Halloween mugs seamlessly fuse creepy and cute, as the usual logs are replaced with skulls, and the picture frames hold drawings of ghosts and haunted buildings.
To keep up with Briones’ creative journey, be sure to follow the artist on Instagram. If you are interested in owning one of her handmade mugs, head over to her Etsy.
Michelle Briones is a Portland-based artist known for her mugs modeled after fireplaces.
Many of her creations are lined with brick or wallpaper, and all feature a family hearth at the center.
Some of her mugs also feature beautiful miniature paintings hanging above the hearth.
Even the simplest seeming mug with laid bricks is a one-of-a-kind that clearly displays craftsmanship and evokes a cozy feeling.
The details that Briones manages to capture is astounding.
Michelle Briones: Website | Instagram | Etsy
h/t: [So Super Awesome]
All images via Michelle Briones.
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