The vessels are created of a wide variety of clay bodies, hand-built, carved, inscribed, painted with layers of under-glaze and oxides that are then washed off. The ones in this grouping are salt, salt- soda or wood fired. The metal stitches are made of steel welding rod and fired with the piece.

Working with clay, fabric and paper, American sculptor Heather Allen Hietala evokes the idea of journey through time. The artist's clay pieces are hand built, carved, inscribed and glazed. The ‘boat and paddle’ are metaphors for change and the words inscribed within the vessels represent memories, collective and personal.

Allen Hietala’s work has been shown in numerous venues in the US, France and Singapore, and is held in diverse collections. She has taught and lectured in the US, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Nepal.