2023

My work is the culmination of my love of nature and clay.

My attempt to make mud fly as this happy wild boar is running through the jungle.

Self-Portrait, Reclining is a doubled-ended finger, inspired by erotic toys, exploring issues of queer body image. The texture depicts how I interact with my body. The pink hue is reminiscent of flesh, yet feels sickly. The figures are displayed on pillows to reveal their weight and personify them.

Color and form are the two most essential elements in my work. I play with these elements through patterns and grids. Whether I am affected by a social event or moved by an emotion within, my art making is strictly personal. Am I inspired by the finished work or the process? This question is the essence of my art.

My work is driven by my desire for a moment of peace and sanity in the labyrinth of life.  I am grateful that I had the privilege of growing up by the ocean on Cape Cod in a house full of people and chaos.   At a young age, I found that my mind was calmed by sitting on the beach and gazing out at the endless ocean and horizon, taking in the colors and soft lines where water and land meet.   The calm that is found at the ocean's edge is what I strive to embrace in my ceramic work. The buffed bare porcelain exterior is representative of the smooth sand that water has passed over. The undulating rim is designed to imitate the small ridge created by the pull of the tide flowing out.

My work reflects the unique human imprint of a creative idea with an ongoing connection to the natural world. Each piece holds a bit of memory, spirit, and inspiration from the maker.

I am a visual artist. My style is minimalism, my medium is anything from paper to concrete, but most of the time it's clay. I am an architect on a small scale: I create playful spaces. My design process is interconnected with digital tools. After a period of time nurturing the visual ideas for the new work and a few sketches on yellow sticky notes, I move to the computer, where I complete my design. My thinking is based on the simplicity of the form and on the contrast and rhythm of the elements.

This work is from the Nicollet series produced during my McKnight Ceramic residency at the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, MN and was my response to place. I was Inspired by a bridge over the Mississippi River, the island where I lived, and maps of the river drawn by the French explorer, Joseph Nicollet, for whom the island is named.

What is a fox to you? Is it a wild animal? A pest? A pet? A mythical creature? Some combination of these? Our perceptions of other animal behaviors change how we perceive the world around us. My work explores these complex interactions between humans and other animals.  

I have an interest in the pitcher form. This form has a dart where the handle meets the top of the pot, which gives the pitcher a slight slant that follows to the spout. I find this gives the piece some "attitude". I am also aware of the negative space that the handle creates to balance the pitcher..