A few years ago, I was floundering a little bit. I was kind of overwhelmed. I was in the process of adopting my kids, but I hadn’t met them yet. I felt some pressure about a painting, and so I just started painting flounders. I guess you could say flounders became my spirit animal for a while, and entered my visual vocabulary. They still show up from time to time no matter what medium I am using to express myself.

Two days ago, I drew a bottle design with a stopper in my notebook. Yesterday I made it. This morning I trimmed the bottle. Today I worked out how I liked a flounder to lay across the fat little bottle. After work, I inscribed the design into the leather-hard clay, and left it to dry. It was all very satisfying.

Today my friend Lisa sent me a picture of a stuffed halibut at the local second hand store, so I went over there as quick as I could after work, sure that something like that would sell quickly.

I really didn’t need it. I had already made a life size flounder that lives on my bed. It’s quite friendly. When I get under the covers it likes to lay across my lap. It lets me rest my computer on it, and then it lies very still the way flounders do.

I made one for each of my kids’ beds, too.

Well, the halibut was still there, but I didn’t buy it. It wasn’t the sliminess or the smell of seaweed that put me off, it was just much smaller than I expected. I was disappointed, but happy to have been thought of. Instead, I bought something else I definitely didn’t need… two earthenware jugs. They matched a collection I already had. Don’t judge me. I’m judging myself enough for both of us.