Bio
I find clay to be the best vehicle to express my artistic energy because of its versatility and endless possibilities. I fell in love with the process of clay when I was introduced to the world of wood fired kilns in 1997. One of the many benefits of firing with wood is the visual trail of ash that records the flame’s passage in and around each piece, leaving finger prints unique to the firing. Opening a kiln to discover the truly unique beauty of each piece is the ultimate reward for all my hard work.
I also enjoy the process of throwing clay on the wheel. The feel of the cool clay yielding to me as I guide it, moving it up and around, molding it into a vessel worthy of so much more than it would ever have been if left a lump of mud. I can work in the studio for hours unaware of the silence around me because I’m giving the clay my undivided attention and working through the possibilities of what it is to become and how to get it there.
I have only just begun to explore the many facets of clay. I have always appreciated the fact that the art world is full of endless possibilities unlike the definitive answers of other academic areas. I only wish I had more time to fully explore them all. Life changes and my interests are drawn in new directions, but the one continuous thread is clay. Clay has become part of my process; it calms me and heals me. It’s always been about the process. My first love was of firing, then it was throwing and now it’s the challenge of scheduling the time for the whole process.
Up until I fire a piece it can always be reclaimed back into mud and made again, but the finished piece is final and is what it is. Having experienced many tragedies during and after firings, I don’t fall in love with any single piece until it is safely unloaded. Then I appreciate its beauty, feel and proportion. I take notice of the finger prints and tool impressions that mark its surface, the fit of the handle and its weight in my hand. And then I begin to imagine how I might make the next piece and the process begins all over again...