Biography/ Artist Statement/ Resume
The current focus in my work is the interplay between repetition and variation through the use of line, texture and depth. I am intrigued with patterns I find in everyday life or in the nature surrounding me. I enjoy discovering ways to incorporate traces of them into my work. Firing my pots in a soda kiln, I find I can explore these ideas on an infinite level. I create wheel thrown and altered functional and decorative pieces using stoneware and porcelain clays. With each cycle of making pots, I eagerly anticipate each firing for the surface effects between the clay, slips, wood ash and soda.
Cradling a cup or bowl in hand, I welcome people to connect with my pots through the subtle textures I have impressed into the clay. I concentrate on the fullness of a form, tonal variations within the surface, and rhythms that occur in the textures. These individual elements are treated similarly to how I observe nature. At first glance, my eyes are unable to focus on the variety in nature surrounding me. However, the little details are what I am drawn to, such as a leaf connecting to its stem, the softness of a seed enclosed in its shell, or the patterns of filtered light. These small components in nature that reveal such variations are what I feel bring vitality and energy to my life. It is my hope that by bringing these details into closer view, each pot I have created will possess the energy and insights I gather from my surroundings.
