Ceramic Artist

 I grew up in upstate New York, near Rochester. In 2006, I moved to Cave Creek, Arizona. Creativity runs in my family. One of my sisters is a musician, and the other is a jeweler. We took music and art classes with much support and encouragement from our parents. I enjoyed four years of art throughout high school, then majored in art education at Nazareth College of Rochester.  I started my studio work in 1983. From there I attended local retail shows, then traveled on to national juried shows having done well over 400+, and counting.  I feel that I will always be an artist, as I continue to explore the realm of creativity.

These clay pieces are slab formed. I use a large rolling pin to roll out thin sheets of clay. Texture is applied using simple tools, some of which are also hand crafted.  The clay is cut, and draped over forms to give it a shape. Each piece takes several hours of labor, and the process can take a few weeks, as several pieces are worked on at a time. They are fired in a kiln at 2100˙ F, for approximately 8-10 hours. I airbrush the pieces with stains and glazes.  Each piece is original, and there is no mechanical process, rather hand rendering skills that have taken years to perfect. 

 I have always been influenced by mother nature. I gravitate towards rural, or un-urban areas. The woods, the forests, desert vistas, oceans, lakes, and gorges, are right where I would like to be. Before leaving my last house in New York, I lived on 32 majestic acres, in the woods. I interpret nature’s beauty in clay. Clay is so forgiving when it comes to applying texture and shaping. I focus on those characteristics to create organic flowing fluid pieces, translated into vessels, vases, bowls, and wall pieces. Over the last 35+ years of my career, I have gone through many evolutions of design.