It’s just dirt, but it’s really not. It always has been and always will be. Humans have made any and everything imaginable with it for twenty millennia. 

Clay– It’s such a simple substance and yet, it yields endless possibilities. Creating with clay has become the only way I truly want to be remembered. Generations upon generations have passed down the tradition of pottery, and I am a small link in that chain. I create forms, mostly wheel-thrown, with soft curves and raised or carved details. I love the way glaze pools inside carvings and glides around low-relief details. I utilize different glaze and clay body combinations to find the ones that give my pieces depth and enhance the details that I have so carefully designed. Many of my pieces are glaze tests in themselves as well as functional works, which further helps me find what I like. I love embracing the new. I am not afraid of change or failure, and it is no different in my art. I like to make larger scale pieces, like pitchers and vases, as opposed to mug or small bowl-sized pieces, as so many other ceramicists do.  They are higher risk and more labor intensive, slow to dry, and have a much larger surface area for detail, and I absolutely adore making them. 

I have often explored themes of nature in my work, specifically florals and foliage, however I have begun to drift into a more chilling aspect of the natural world: ice. I am fascinated by natural science and have recently become very interested in the Arctic ocean and sea ice which is sharp, jagged, and dangerously beautiful. At the same time, I have been inspired by medieval pottery, which is soft, curved, and sturdy. I decided to mix these two seemingly opposing concepts, which has resulted in a surprisingly attractive composition. 

As I continue to explore the fusion of nature's rugged beauty and the timeless elegance of pottery, my work reflects the balance between stability and charm, while allowing my style to evolve in the future.