Statement of Purpose

We are shaped and fashioned by what we experience and love in life. The same statement is true about my artwork. My artwork is a reflection of me, it is how I see the world around me, and what things affect the way I think and live my everyday life.

I approach every new project as an experiment- to see what can happen. I try to keep my mind inquisitive and my hands active. I use the making process as a tool for learning, learning about myself as well as the outside world. I am in love with the fluidity of porcelain and I am fascinated with fibers, weaving and manipulating fabric how I please.

I enjoy simple pleasures and experiences and try to bring that enjoyment into my pottery designs. Being a functional potter I don’t deal with a lot of concept behind these pieces, the five elements of design is what makes up the bones of my work. I use these elements to create function and simplicity. Ease of use and manageability is the concept with some personal marks for unique flare. I am drawn to the simplicity of Japanese form and elegance, with whimsical alterations to make my personal touch apparent. These pieces are created with the softest and richest clay, porcelain, accented with subtle color, and they are most importantly practical, with the intention of being shared and used in everyday life. The pieces I make are intended to be interacted with – they are made to be put out on the table and used. I find my fulfillment in the enjoyment people express when handling and using a piece I have created for them.

I enjoy the fluidity of working with clay and take advantage of the process of pot making for the majority of my decoration – making use of finger marks, tooling lines, slip trailing and coloring, and marks from handling and firing. I am interested in how these elements give the pot “life.” The depth of surface created by the translucent properties of porcelain and the way clay and glaze interact with light creates an interesting tension between the surfaces.

As well as being a functional potter I also enjoy mixed media sculptures. My environment affects me in a profound way. With my mixed media sculptures, my work takes a deeper turn into how I view the world around me and how certain things effect me. Within these pieces I am dealing with aspects of nature and environment. My great love for the earth, dirt, flowers, trees, and other elements has led me to do many pieces relating to nature, both in celebration and in dissent to the environmental degradation of our planet. We have forgotten our position within this world; we are detached, and have forgotten that we are very much a part of this earth. As we continue to squalor away our resources, as the earth’s environment continues to change and people begin to feel further overwhelmed with it all, how will we as her inhabitants decide to listen and take action?

One day it will have to be officially admitted that what we have christened reality is an even greater illusion than the world of dreams. – Salvidor Dali