Juror's Merit Award

My vessels are the efforts to transform clay, which is essentially cold, heavy mud, into beautiful and interesting shapes that reflect the sensation of the soaring towers of modern architecture and the fluidity, geometry, and expressionism of 20th century decorative and visual arts.

Inspired by NASA's images of the mysterious surface of Mars

Generous in volume, contemplative yet dynamic, I create large coil-built vessels that prompt a desire to touch, climb in, or embrace. Conveying resilience and beauty, I draw on the New England landscape for inspiration; ocean waves, clouds at dusk drawing pink lines across the sky, snow-coated fields in winter.

Caress is part of the series of Face Vases. The pieces can be arranged in different ways, kissing, caressing, or upside-down to function as flower vases. The series explores gender and relationships.

Wall mounted weathered amusement park featuring Skeeball, Dodgems, Ferris wheel, to name a few. There are 9 sections each 20" wide. I was told I might be able to show the entire park if there is available wall space.

Disconnect approaches the mental health effects of the pandemic. The narratives rotate around the teapot in a whirlwind as if to signify the tornadic effects of quarantine and a lack of social interaction. Finding the beauty in recovery and perseverance, I used landscape and imagery related to my personal struggle to suggest that "you are not alone".

This sculpture takes aim at the ubiquitous public monuments glorifying powerful men riding high on their horses. This young woman sits triumphantly atop a bull she has subdued.

I make choices that stand in for emotional states, figuratively and materially - via marks from atmospheric firings, surfaces that reflect organic qualities, and textures that reference natural processes. My intent is for one to imagine the atmosphere around the figure as a reflection of what is happening inside the body and mind.

Working with clay is a lot like a stream of consciousness writing. I am in the moment with the thoughts and emotions as they are given shape. I am constantly trying to capture an emotion or a moment, to find a way to reflect on the process of living.

A birth of a new vision, a fertile strong mother smiling in the face of her mortality. She transcends this as a goddess that weighs her decisions and attachments against a feather. Many of the objects are from my family members, honoring life cycles, mythological archetypes, and the balance of dualities.