Clay is where it all started. I prefer hand-building to wheel throwing simply for the freedom it allows one to begin with a ball of clay, a slab, or a block to carve from; the possibilities are endless. Clay also allows me to express my love for texture and organic shapes. I’ll see a shape in a slab and cut it, fold it, tear it, to make it more interesting or I’ll cut off a ragged edge and use it for the rim of a vessel because I like the curve or the pattern.
I am compelled to paint shapes from nature; the organic, flowing lines of an old cedar, the bend of a leafless tree branch, the rolling silhouette of the Blue Ridge mountains, even the curve of a piece of fuzz on my couch. Many of my paintings are inspired by photos I've taken from which I recreate the shape and composition of the object.
My artistic passions have been hand–built pottery and acrylic on canvas. There was a time when I thought I should concentrate on one medium, but have come to realize how important both of them are to my creative process.
The three dimensional aspect of the clay allows me to express my love for texture, shape, and form while the two dimensional aspect of canvas and paint sets the stage for my love of brilliant colors, organic shapes, and fluid lines.
I have a Visual Arts degree from the University of Northern Colorado and now live, create, and teach at my own art school in Hendersonville, NC. For more information about the school, click here.
Texture is very exciting in clay. Any object within reach has potential for creating texture; the canvas-covered table, my shoe, or hand-made stamps. I tend to work fast to allow the clay to do what it wants to do. The more time I spend with my hands on the clay the more I take away the subtle and natural effects of texture, the broken edge of the clay, or the overall shape of the piece.
I use an iron oxide wash on the outside of my vessels to enhance the texture and glaze the inside for a non-porous surface. I embrace any glaze with a mind of its own; slightly unpredictable and multifaceted, just dip the piece and let the kiln do its magic!
Pottery
I am in love with color... the brilliant orange of a fungus or the amazing gradation of pink, purple, and hazy blues in a winter sunset. The colors I use depend on my mood or often, whichever tube of paint is the most full! I find it exciting to paint the trunk of a tree in shades of green or orange simply because I can. I also like to use complimentary colors for the background to create a more vibrant composition.
Painting
Shows
Art in the Park 2007, 2008
Greenville, SC
Bele Chere 2006
Asheville, NC
Curvy Girl Craft Show 2005
Asheville, NC
Earth Day Festival Blue Ridge Community College 2003
Clay is where it all started. I prefer hand-building to wheel throwing simply for the freedom it allows one to begin with a ball of clay, a slab, or a block to carve from; the possibilities are endless. Clay also allows me to express my love for texture and organic shapes. I’ll see a shape in a slab and cut it, fold it, tear it, to make it more interesting or I’ll cut off a ragged edge and use it for the rim of a vessel because I like the curve or the pattern. 
