From the age of six I had a penchant for copying the form of things, and from about fifty, my pictures were frequently published; but until the age of seventy, nothing that I drew was worthy of notice. At seventy-three years, I was somewhat able to fathom the growth of plants and trees, and the structure of birds, animals, insects, and fish. Thus when I reach eighty years, I hope to have made increasing progress, and at ninety to see further into the underlying principles of things, so that at one hundreds years I will have achieved a divine state in my art, and at one hundred and ten, every dot and every stroke will be as though alive. Those of you who live long enough, bear witness that these words of mine prove not false.

Hokusai - age seventy-five

Artist Profile

This passage instills in me the reality of life's achievements, goals and personal growth. With each kiln opening my visions are realized. Some positive, some that encourage me to adjust my work to accommodate the technical elements of the ceramic process. Having art at my core instills an evolution of achievement.

I have worked with clay for many years and find myself currently focusing on surface decoration techniques.  I am enjoying working with textured clays, dry slip decoration, color etc. 

My  formal training focused on wheel thrown functional forms. I soon became bored with the "production type" task of producing these forms and began to explore surface treatment. This has allowed me to create a variety of fun forms, then work the surface.  “The Texture of Daily Life” is a phrase that describes how I view my current work.

My graduate work included the firing process of raku. This process is spontaneous and thrilling. The mystery of not having complete control over the final outcome is what compels me to continue seeking the “raku grail”.

When working in my studio, I am often overwhelmed by shear excitement of the countless possibilities which pass through my creative psyche. Human life may be too short to explore all that I would like, I continue to look forward to the creative energy spent in my studio.