Artist Statement
I have worked with clay for over 40 years. I fell in love with the fluid and impressionable characteristics of this wonderful medium in college.
Rocks and water have always inspired me. I love the streams running through the mountains and also the ocean. I am fascinated by the
effect of water on the earth and the calming effect it has upon me. The textures and colors in water, sand, sea birds, shells, rocks,
and marine creatures inform my work and my glazes. I mix up all my own glazes and am often tweaking them to highlight textures that
I am putting on my pots. My goal is to infuse my work with the peaceful feelings that water worn rocks, landscape and waves give to me.
I throw and hand build my pieces and often combine the two methods to emphasize contrast. Currently I am exploring the contrast between
the softness of wet clay and the hardness of the finished fired work. I encourage and welcome the happy accidents that take place in the
firing process. This is leading me to explore various methods of firing, including soda firing, wood firing and pit firing.
As an artist and a maker of functional handmade objects, I always strive for the human connection between my work and the user
of my pottery. I love the fact that people can use my work in their everyday lives. This is especially important to me as a functional potter.
I enjoy fine-tuning those little details in my work that make them user friendly. A handle that beckons one to pick it up or a shape that fits
so comfortably in the hands so that you want to use it every morning makes me very happy.
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