Artist Statement – studio pottery
I am a potter. I create joyous, beautiful objects with meaning that weave into our daily lives through use. Utilitarian pottery is naturally rich in ideas and metaphor and the best method to express myself.
Pottery weaves into our daily lives through use and decorates our living spaces with character and elegance. Teapots celebrate our tea drinking ritual; a pitcher adorns the mantel when not in use; a mug with slight texture inside the handle allows our fingers to discover uniqueness. Pottery is a reflection and celebration of our reality, our fantasy, and ourselves.
Clay is a supportive and demanding medium for the creative journey of making.I make pottery out of porcelain clay. It is extremely sensitive and responsive to my touch when it’s soft. Another transformation occurs during the firing process with glaze materials and the atmosphere of the kiln. Once fired, it becomes dense and strong then you respond to its aesthetic and feel. It responds to your touch, then you respond to it. It is this responsive nature of clay that continues to interest me.
The need for beautiful domestic objects and the instinctual drive to create things are tremendous dance partners for idea and desire. I am insistent about making things with my hands; utilitarian pottery supports and represents our intimate rituals of nourishment and celebration.
I always ask myself, “how am I nourished by where I live?” Pottery seeps into our homes, our kitchens, and enriches our lives. Handmade pottery decorates our living spaces with character and elegance. Pottery is a reflection and celebration of ourselves.
Artist Statement – endangered species project
Since 2017 I have become increasingly concerned about the condition of our natural environment. Making pottery is how I understand the world and I wanted to use my skills as a potter to address this, I started making commemorative portrait plates of endangered species – now I am making Urns. Urns are traditionally used to hold ashes from cremation. I am making urns for endangered species of the United States – species in my back yard. The urns are sized to hold an average human’s ashes. On each urn is an images of each an endangered, threatened, extinct or recovered. The urns are displayed empty, as most of the species are still alive – the emptiness is a sign of hope.
For more information about this project please visit the Endangered Species project: endangered-species-project.org