Artist Statement

My work in clay explores the meeting place between nature’s ephemeral patterns and the human  impulse to control, shape, repeat, and refine. I’m drawn to the tactile rhythm of carved surfaces,  where light gathers in recesses and color pools into unexpected depths. 

Working with clay is an intimate, elemental act. It begins in the earth, shaped by the hand, and  transformed by fire. I find myself most spiritually drawn to the process of wood firing and soda  firing in particular. It carries its own kind of alchemy and magic. Flame, ash, and heat merging  in unpredictable ways to create surfaces that are alive with depth and variation. No two pieces  emerge the same; each bears the subtle record of its passage through the kiln: the kiss of flame,  the drift of ash, the shimmer of soda. These markings speak of collaboration rather than control,  a partnership between maker, material, and the elemental forces that complete the work. 

There is a particular kind of masochism required when working with clay – a willingness to fail,  to begin again, and to find meaning in what cannot be controlled. Clay is continuously humbling.  It cracks, warps, collapses, or yields to the kiln’s indifference or simply spits in the face of  whatever expectations you dared to have. Each failure becomes a lesson in patience and  acceptance; each imperfection, an opening for beauty to emerge unexpectedly. To work with  clay is to court disappointment and transformation in equal measure; to surrender to a process that is as much about loss as it is about creation. 

The recurring botanical motifs in my work reflect my fascination with growth, decay, and  renewal. I use carving to bring dimension and movement to the surface, inviting touch as much  as sight. These impressions are not meant to be perfect reproductions but interpretations, shaped  by memory and intuition. In my carving, I allow each stroke to be informed by the previous; it’s an evolving rhythm that mirrors the organic growth found in the natural world. 

Each finished piece carries the memory of its making the trace of the hand, the transformation of  fire, and the quiet conversation between intention and chance. Whether a vessel, mug, or  sculptural form, my hope is that each piece invites a moment of stillness and connection: a tactile awareness of the materials, elements, and rhythms that shape both the natural world and the human experience. 

Ceramics invite intimacy. They are art meant to be held, used, and lived with, objects that bridge  the quiet space between art and daily life. A cup warming between palms, the lip of a bowl  meeting the mouth, the trace of the maker’s hand beneath the glaze these small, tactile exchanges create a relationship between the vessel and its user. Through this physical interaction, the work  becomes more than an object; it becomes a participant in the rhythms of everyday living.