Artist Statement

Deliberate, thoughtful decisions, build the forms I create. I am drawn to clay and the way it reflects who I am. My practice is informed by this alignment. The size of my work is a result of how I interact with and challenge the material. During the process, the work in front of me occupies the full reach of my arms and hands… I manipulate symmetrical forms but keep the history and information from the potter’s wheel. My forms have rims that bounce and meander; pulsating walls create new silhouettes as one walks around the pieces. 

In my practice, it is important to me to understand every step of the process that influences the final product. Learning about each process within ceramics benefits the levels of complexity within my work. Through experimentation - whether with a new technique or through in depth surface research - new ways of thinking open up and contribute to the evolution of my work. I am engaged in all research within the process: formulating slips, design and construction of kilns, and firing techniques. The forms I create have become influenced by the atmospheric qualities of soda firing; specifically by the individuality the firing imbues upon each piece. Reacting to the various applications of the slips and the placement within the kiln, the surface of forms shows the history of the vessel – its making and its vitrification and coloration. A palette of traditional flashing slips has been built upon, yet I strive to achieve even more colorful results. When applying these reactive slips to forms, they come alive, manifesting large drawing surfaces which provide more information about the full process of creation, from the articulation of form to the way they record the finishing gestures of the fire.