Artist Statement

"I don't think about ART while I work. I try to think about life." ~Basquiat

The relationship between form and surface is an important impetus for the creation of my new vessel series. The starting point may be an historical reference or simply an improvisational approach to the wheel. The concept of wabi-sabi, the Japanese aesthetic where elegance and refinement is achieved by bringing out the natural characteristics inherent to materials, has been a major influence on the development of my work.  Beginning with a simple wheel thrown form, I work the earthenware clay with a variety of surface-making tools to stretch and expose the plastic properties of the material.  The process of throwing on the wheel allows me to create quickly the  sensual shapes that will eventually be coated with brightly colored engobes.  I alter the wheel thrown clay and add constructed elements to help produce the desired form, forms influenced by both 17th century Chinese export porcelain and European palace wares.  It is the form that dictates the colors I choose for each piece.  Rather than use reflective glazes that tend to diminish line and shape, I have spent considerable time developing colorful matte surfaces that enhance each form.

As an artist, I try to push beyond traditional surface decorating and glazing techniques, while still paying homage to classical forms. It is the visual interaction between the simple wheel thrown vessel and the color-laden surface that creates unity within the piece.  I aspire to incorporate beauty, simplicity, and harmony within my art, while still expanding ceramic traditions, techniques, and perceptions.  In this way, a greater sense of existence is evoked for each new object I create.