ARTIST STATEMENT
I make functional candy-like glazed earthenware pottery. The making of a pot becomes a celebration of it as an object, as it transcends beyond the everyday kitchen dish and becomes something with more meaning and warmth. A visual balance exists between the rough clay surface and the shiny, colorful glazes, as well as pattern and open space, creating a feeling of fullness both with and without food. Quirky, quiet, sweet and humble are a few words that could describe my work. My utilitarian wares help make simple things such as cooking and washing dishes a little more fun and enjoyable, or they can lend themselves to the imagination of the user: the most successful pots do both.
I scavenge ideas from my surroundings, both natural and manmade. Born a collector, I have various interests in objects from primitive wooden tools of the early 20th century to Scandinavian design and kitsch objects of the mid-20th century. I have developed a love for historical ceramics, responding to the fresh handling of the clay in wares from Medieval England, patterning of Iznik and Mimbres pottery, and the depth and richness of the surface of the sgraffito wares of 13th century Iran and Iraq. Architecture has been a big influence on my work through both form and details, and my color palette borrows from sources including food and the decorative style of Martha Stewart.
I make functional candy-like glazed earthenware pottery. The making of a pot becomes a celebration of it as an object, as it transcends beyond the everyday kitchen dish and becomes something with more meaning and warmth. A visual balance exists between the rough clay surface and the shiny, colorful glazes, as well as pattern and open space, creating a feeling of fullness both with and without food. Quirky, quiet, sweet and humble are a few words that could describe my work. My utilitarian wares help make simple things such as cooking and washing dishes a little more fun and enjoyable, or they can lend themselves to the imagination of the user: the most successful pots do both.
I scavenge ideas from my surroundings, both natural and manmade. Born a collector, I have various interests in objects from primitive wooden tools of the early 20th century to Scandinavian design and kitsch objects of the mid-20th century. I have developed a love for historical ceramics, responding to the fresh handling of the clay in wares from Medieval England, patterning of Iznik and Mimbres pottery, and the depth and richness of the surface of the sgraffito wares of 13th century Iran and Iraq. Architecture has been a big influence on my work through both form and details, and my color palette borrows from sources including food and the decorative style of Martha Stewart.
