ABOUT MY WORK

Twenty-three years ago I first began working with clay. The malleable, organic qualities of the material drew me in, and the possibility of creating something intimate, lasting, and useful fascinated me. Since then, I have had the good fortune to study ceramics in several places, including Penland School of Craft and Haystack Mountain School. I earned a BFA in ceramics from Massachusetts College of Art. I have been a full time potter for about sixteen years.

I create my pottery on my potter’s wheel, or from slabs. When a form is complete, I paint a thin layer of colored clay over the original clay, and carve through the layers to achieve a block print-like design. I then glaze and fire them in my electric kiln at the studio. Some of my work I fire with wood.  The firing, which can last up 30 hours, is an exciting and labor intensive process consuming a cord or more of wood. Photographer Ben Barnhart put together a great audio/slide show of the process which can be seen here.

I focus mainly on functional items – vases, mugs, bowls and serving pieces. I also have a line of judaica including mezuzas and seder plates.

Recently I have been exploring more narrative sculptural work in addition to my pottery (see “Intimates Series”).

For my narrative carvings and glaze patterns, I draw inspiration from human and natural relationships, stories, and poems. Aesthetic influences include block prints, early American quilts, plants, insects and animals, and my New England surroundings.

My goal as an artist is a pretty simple one: I think the objects that we use in our daily lives should be beautiful and meaningful. I strive to integrate function and beauty into my work. My hope is that my pottery will enrich people’s celebrations, and that through daily use, make their lives a little richer.