Artist’s Statement

From my earliest recollections as a little girl in the pine forests of North Carolina I have been in love with the natural world. My career  has focused on sharing my love of nature with others, first in the mountains of North Carolina, then in the forests of Indiana. In the mountains, I was introduced to the promise and potential of wet clay. Now in the woods of southern Indiana I am blessed to have my own studio. As man’s knowledge multiplies we increasingly find that nature’s designs are far me elegant than our own. In the natural world no form exists without function. Whether a cup a bowl or a platter, my greatest achievement is to create beauty while respecting the value of function

The views nature affords us are constantly changing. My influences change with the seasons. The lush diversity of the forest floor is my summer inspiration while the bareness of the trees in winter calls for me to carve those elegant sculptures of nature onto my wet clay. I seek to transfer as curved edges and flowing forms in clay the movements of nature unfolding outside of my studio.

I work in porcelain, terra cotta and red stoneware clays. I continue to experiment with a wide variety of glazes and firing techniques. Much of my work is fired in an electric kiln which offers greater control and consistent results in firings. I also find myself drawn to the ancient Japanese firing technique, Raku, for it’s raw beauty and  virtually unpredictable results. Many of my Raku pieces combing burnishing and horsehair application for intriguing effect. I have and continue to experiment with wood firing, salt firing and barrel firing in collaboration with other artists.