I want my ceramic art to be seen and appreciated within the contemporary context of the vessel as sculptural form. Each morning as my fingers play across the body of my coffee cup, and my lips are welcomed by the roundness of a rim, I am reminded about the subtle quality of form and surface that the ceramic arts provide. This sensibility can be maintained when we create objects for daily use as well as forms of a monumental scale. With these forms, covered by a luscious glaze, not only are your fingers massaged by the surface, but also your hand and eye. The distinction between functional craft and sculptural art is blurred, and the viewer/user is granted an experience of a visceral nature.
The images of these ceramic forms and pottery displayed in this digital gallery have been fired using either the techniques of electric, gas, or wood firing. The stoneware or porcelain clay body is used to provide the opportunity for the glaze choice and the firing choice to be as rich and full of depth as can happen during the final firing. When working with wood firing and gas firing, I consciously give up some control of the outcome to the vagaries of the firing. Conversely, when I choose to fire in the electric kiln, it is to retain full control of the outcome. This technical process of firing ceramic art allows for personal creativity within the transformative process and yet allows for the serendipitous or unique outcome that makes each piece unique.