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As a child my parents took me on
numerous trips to wonderful
places such as BereaCollege, Arrowmont School of Arts and
Crafts,
and any potter’s studio that was open along the
roadside.
My parents always had Rowe Pottery and
Bennington Pottery
around the house and I became intrigued
by the texture of the
clay and the raised slip
decoration. At the time I just thought
it was fun
but, in retrospect, it was the foundation for my love
for
ceramics.
When I enrolled at KalamazooCollege I
planned on majoring
in Biology. However when I was a
sophomore my dad sat me
down and advised me that he
thought I should pursue what I really loved and what made me
happy. At that point I changed majors and graduated in
2002 with a B.A. in Fine Arts and Art History.
Having worked for several ceramic
artists I decided to open my own studio in 2005. I have
been working with porcelain clay and have been fluctuating
between functional and sculptural objects, including the
literal and figurative. I have created sculptural
ceramic chairs, pit-fired chimney pots, translucent porcelain
lights, wood-fired porcelain, salt-fired porcelain, and
gas-fired functional porcelain. While focusing on one
medium, I continue to search for alternative
forms.
Recently, I began thinking about
my work in terms of how one accessorizes an outfit. I
always think about color combinations; how the color of my
pants effects the color of my
shirt. How the color of my pants effects the choice of my shoes. This
in part relates to my selection of jewelry. The
combination of styles, colors, and textures represent
different fashion genres. For me, breaking my thought
process down into something figurative allows me to look at it
more objectively and with less anxiety. I appreciate
color and its ability to interact with people.
Utilizing
a potter’s wheel my pots are formed and altered. With
each piece, I draw an image that compliments or contrasts the
pattern I have carved into black slip. I then hand paint
glaze on each piece, which creates textures and color
variations. With each piece sold I hope to enhance my
customer’s day-to-day life. | 
