I am a clay artist and use porcelain to create wall pieces and vessels. My work draws inspiration from the natural world, exploring the transformative process and inevitable changes that accompany growth.

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In the natural world, a seedling diverts from its intended symmetry to bend toward the light, seeking nourishment and making way for other plants. A work of art takes a parallel path, where intention and chance compete to develop the form. An evolving work in porcelain uniquely reacts to the physical properties of the clay, the drying process, the additional materials applied, and the effects of firing. Memories of art from the past and aspects of the visual world also push against an original idea as a work takes shape. As in nature, when a work of art grows beyond its original intention, what develops is more authentic and complex than what was first imagined. It becomes a finer imperfect.  

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The central theme of an early wall piece, Chorus, has remained central to my work. In the performance of choral music, distinct voices can be heard. The synthesis however of many voices together creates something far more powerful. In my wall work an identical process directs the formation of a multitude of small elements from bits of clay. Each tiny piece nevertheless remains unique. When the piece is completed, the many elements assembled, a resonance emerges in the tension between their shared identity and the subtle but distinct variation between them.

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The hand-built vessels I create are intentionally started with bases that are off center.  This process enables me to work in a spontaneous way and often employs experimental techniques and materials. The extensive alteration of the surface and the addition of fragmented, hand-built elements, speak about how things grow and weather over time. My most recent vessels are containers where imaginary flowers grow. The boundless forms that flowers can assume continue to inspire me. 

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Porcelain for me is not about perfection, but rather, about flexibility, strength and the ability to change. I am interested in the persistence of beauty in the world and how it endures.  Beauty has no intention. It simply exists, actualized by the observer. It serves as inference, an invitation to spirituality and joy. In this time of political and social upheaval, I hope that my work asks one to reflect upon how we are made, layer by layer, altered by the forces of identity, nature and society. I want the viewer to examine what is common in all of us and celebrate the beauty and complexity of our differences.