sculptor, painter, photographer
I cannot recall a time when I was not involved in creating something. I was taught as a girl to knit, do needlepoint and hook rugs. As I worked alongside my mother, and the hours passed, I realized that the activity of “making” was an open-ended and wholly absorbing journey.
The idea that one piece could take a week, a month, even a year was not a concern. However protracted, the process was — and remains — my focus. Though I can often envision an outcome before beginning, I do not rush. I have neither a knack for, nor an interest in, quick studies. My joy is in the journey.
When I began to study art, I learned to apply the same approach to painting, drawing, printmaking and photography. My work in those mediums has always been driven by explorations of color, texture and movement. Over time, my interest shifted to include ceramics, and to deepening those core explorations by expanding them from two to three dimensions. This transition heightened my awareness of and affinity for the power of the natural world, particularly the sea. This new theme presented opportunities that demanded my attention — so, somewhat impulsively, I dove in.
Each one-of-a-kind vessel is hand-built from chocolate or red stoneware/clay, some with sprigged appliqué and cutouts. Attention to surface detail is of paramount importance. The patina is achieved through layering high-fire glazes in varied colors, wax resist, smudging, blowing and wipe-offs. The result is reminiscent of rust and verdigris, evoking ancient objects left behind long ago and reborn through excavation.
As abstractions of both terrestrial and underwater environments, the vessels recall the shapes, textures and movement of nature, uniting artist and viewer in a common experience. At the same time, they transport viewers to the realm of imagination — as if, by surprise or by magic, the sea has fused with the land.