One-of-a-Kind Owl Pitcher by Julie Byrne

Who says functional pottery can't have a personality? This handcrafted stoneware pitcher is shaped like a wide-eyed owl, complete with expressive disc eyes glazed in cream with radiating dark lines, like tiny sunbursts staring right back at you. The body is richly textured with an all-over crosshatch pattern, all under a deep, lustrous oxblood glaze that makes the warm amber undertones glow. A sturdy looped handle rounds out this piece that's equally at home on a dinner table or a display shelf. The pitcher is the work of Juliellen Byrne, a Columbus native and Groveport-based ceramic artist with over 40 years of experience developing figurative ceramic works. She's also the founder of Clay Cafe, Grandview's beloved paint-your-own-pottery studio, so this piece comes with serious local roots.