The Best I Can Do Is A Clay Frog
2021 - 2023
Introducing "The Best I Can Do Is A Clay Frog", an exploration of the lives of 100 tiny ceramic frogs—each with a unique hat.
What started as a slip-casting class snowballed into a two year obsessive journey. Each hat is hand-built onto a slip-casted base frog, and I use a variety of surface design techniques, underglazes, and glazes, to give them life. This project allowed me to bring a bit more humor and amusement into my work through the individual names and reasons why they’re not smiling.
“The Best I Can Do Is A Clay Frog” is brought to you by someone who doesn’t believe in such a thing as too many trinkets, is so indecisive she couldn't choose only one hat to make, and has just enough focus to create a 2 inch frog. I hope these creatures can remind us of the childlike wonderment and silliness that exists in all of us.
No. 1 - Bullyum Tell has daddy issues after he aimed an arrow at him.
No. 2 - Bluemer Boy was told this was a new trendy hat, but hasn't seen anyone else wear one.
From left to right: No. 4 - Froogler feels scammed because he was promised the hat would let him fly. No. 3 - Poppin' wore a hat to signify it was her birthday but no one batted an eye.
No. 5 - Carl the Cowboy can't concentrate on his job when he has to worry about being trampled on.
No. 6 - Belchvis is frustrated he gets mistaken as an impersonator when he's the real deal.
No. 7 - The pirate life is not for Scurvaceous.
No. 8 - Chiquita is sad that she only gets the peel of a fruit when her sister Tutti Frutti has a whole ass fruit basket on her head.
No. 9 - Roger Dislodger thought his hat would give him better reception but it's actually just shitty.
No. 10 - Green Mario's own mother can't remember his name
No. 11 - Flowerstradamus can't keep a plant alive.
No. 12 - Queen of the Frogspawn's back hurts from carrying the king. No. 13 - Har Har Winks wants someone to laugh with him not at him.
No. 14 - Can't Believe It's Not Gammy doesn’t understand why his disguise isn’t convincing.
No. 15 - Birbara constantly has bird shit on her head.
No. 16 - Grota & Grutas' brain is cold all the time.
No. 17 - Ketchup Fettuccine is tired of being the puppet of a rat.
No. 18 - Harry Hopper wants to stop worrying about death.
No. 19 - The Rock wishes the marble was lighter.
No. 20 - Marcel Marteaud is getting cystic acne from the face make up.
No. 21 - Croakswagen is too cute and is now devoid of a personality.
No. 21 - Croakswagen
No. 22 - Judge Tootie's little gavel can’t bring a courtroom to order.
No. 23 - Tadpole of Frog has great peripheral vision, not so great central vision.
No. 24 - Smorgasforg has recurring nightmares of catching on fire and being flung in the fire pit.
No. 25 - Kermhat can't sleep from all the tea he be sipping and hearing.
No. 26 - Kersplat is sad no one wants to be around the smell of curdled milk.
No. 27 - Swamantha is in a constant pruny state.
No. 28 - Minnifer is contractually only allowed to use Disney+ and has to piece together Love is Blind drama through Instagram clips.
No. 29 - Stonie B. Jones can never do staring contests with her friends.
No. 30 - Litfanny is tired of being on all the time.
No. 31 - Frog with a Pearl Earring has to live her whole life turned so no one can see her non-earring side.
No. 32 - Frogski is tired of losing to Stanferg.
No. 33 - Basurana's shitty Tin Man costume means he has now to deal with a constant barrage of trash.
No. 34 - Tjango is a tangerine but wants to be a cutie.
No. 35 - Blaine's Regurgitation thought he would be part of David's act in a different way that involved less time in an esophagus.
No. 36 - Ash Ketchumwitdattongue is having trouble keep his Pokemon alive after catching them.
No. 37 - Tutti Frutti's relationship with her sister Chiquita is rotten but it's not her fault someone glued more than just a peel on her head.
No. 38 - Tooly is close to losing his job because he doesn't know how to use a hammer.
No. 39 - Kåre realized his whole life's a sham after learning amphibians aren't welcome in Valhalla.
No. 40 - Frank is sad because Tooly doesn't know how to use a hammer.
No. 41 - Anvilbian is no longer tall enough to ride rides.
No. 42 - Meathead is still waiting for lady and the tramp to find him.
No. 43 - Tater Toad is constantly fending off hungry human hands.
No. 44 - Marischinose feels out of place for most of the year.
No. 45 - Strawpreppy gets picked on for being a fresa.
No. 46 - Smiley Flyrus feels inadequate having the smallest mouth out of her Cheshire cousins.
No. 47 - Spongehop really wishes Krusty Krab would open up a fresh water branch.
No. 48 - Brad Lite thinks having only two can slots is like kinda low-key mid.
No. 49 - Dotzilla feels uneasy his innards are exposed.
No. 50 - Fleur-de-leap croaked, er choked, during the maypole hop.
No. 51 - Daliwog's acid trip is taking too long.
No. 52 - Smooshmelele is extra susceptible to dented head syndrome on account of being a gaming marshmallow.
No. 53 - Grufoo wants some clothes, oh and free will would be nice.
No. 54 - Some have fear death, others like Sketch-A-Betch fear erasers/rubbers.
No. 55 - Lil' Clops doesn’t know how to deal with hero doing a 180.
No. 56 - Calvin Hopps can answer all questions with his thinking cap except where his colander is.
No. 57 - Froget-me-not wants everyone but bees to froget him not.
No. 57 - Adorabowl lives in fear that things are going to fall. Apart.
No. 59 - Lettie Hsu is smiling!
No. 60 - Maleficent Jr. Jr. Fr. would rather cause death than cause an unconscious minor to be kissed.
No. 61 - Shatty Melt feels underrepresented because everyone talks about not judging a book by its cover but what about its smell?
No. 62 - Bubble Bud feels like he could burst at any moment.
No. 63 - Pillsbury Doughd Boy is a victim of non-consenual belly poking.
No. 64 - Mushdoom doesn't always want to be the fun guy.
No. 65 - Hottie with a Bottie wants to be known for his personality more than his bottie.
No. 66 - Yawnold Snorzenegger is smiling because she's asleep, and who can be unhappy during that?
No. 67 - Ida Neaux can't figure out know what her hat means.
No. 68 - Puff Puff Passtry is too high to emote.
No. 69 - Saraw knows something fishy is up.
No. 70 - Baggedy Ann misses the good ol' days of her hats being free.
No. 71 - Paula Abdulct feels disjointed.
No. 72 - Bunloon doesn't get why everything fun has to be fleeting.
No. 73 - Candler has to choose between being hot and deteriorating.
No. 74 - Zapadeedoodah thought this skeleton stuff only happened in cartoons.
No. 75 - The yolk's not on you, it's actually on Splatthew.
No. 76 - Frogzone wants to see more species diversity in his world.
No. 77 - Deaf Con Van's ears were cut off.
No. 78 - Conan O'Riange finds it quite inconvenient as a frog that his skin wasn't built for the sun.
No. 79 - Me Flat can't believe Anvilbian dares to complain.
No. 80 - Mr. Poopy Cloaca
No. 81 - Spud Daddy is looking for someone to call Spud Mommy.
No. 82 - Sprinker Belle is there for everyone's birthday but who's there for hers?
No. 83 - Detective Plaid Man is waiting for a call from Marvel.. any day now.
No. 84 - Diet Croake doesn't understand why everyone likes Croake Zero more.
No. 85 - YzmaTimeToShine misses being human.
No. 86 - Roe Hang Head Bang doesn't even know why she was on a bike.
No. 87 - Wheeliam feels dizzy.
No. 88 - Sad Ribbit wants her own meme.
No. 89 - Lady Chatterly has no one to talk to.
No. 91 - Baby Bottle Frog is having cannibalistic urges.
No. 92 - D. S. Frogether has been waiting years for his promotion from hostile mob to boss.
No. 93 - Fogojojo is on a life long journey to figure out what he's made of.
No. 94 - Edwart wishes he had the same fandom as Edward.
No. 95 - Jobu Toadpaki wishes his hat could suck people into nihilism, but no, it just emits a faint bagel scent.
No. 96 - Trick Chang is having a hard time with the tablecloth on himself.
No. 97 - Tadpull Origin Main feels like half an octopus.
No. 98 - Halo Berry is a good toad that wants to go bad.
No. 90 - Kirbeam misses how effective his inhaling powers were for flies.
No. 99 - No one gets Karl the Frog's name right.
No. 99 - Karl the Frog (back)
No. 100 - Frog & Tadpole want to be counted as two frogs not one!
From left to right: No. 48 Brad Lite, No. 77 Deaf Con Van, No. 66 Snorzenegger, No. 71 Paula Abdulct, No. 68 Puff Puff Passtry