Bowl from Earth: Clay vessels contain life and are necessary for the survival of the family. Forsaken in the cold and in the storm, prehistoric human beings were forced to use their intelligence to stay alive. From this the bowl was formed.

Artist Statement

The appeal of the vessel form is its universality and simplicity. It is a neutral format in which artistic styles can take flight. The Vessel's basic elements-foot, wall, and rim are inherently sculptural and impose few limits on the imagination.

My wheel-thrown, thin-walled vessels are carved, hammered, and manipulated to create exterior shapes and patterns that contrast vibrantly with their smooth, empty interior volumes.

Many are burnished and covered with fine particles of decanted clay called terra sigillata and sagger-fired in wood, facilitating subtle color variations. In this process, exterior surfaces remain porous after each firing, allowing me, like the natural world from which these materials come, to slowly build up layers of color and clay. The vessels interiors are double glazed, creating richly contrasting colors and textures. Some are further enhanced with slip trailing using black slips of varying thickness.

The open vessel forms I create become biomorphic objects expressing the patterns and shapes I observe and sense on the surface of the earth - the layers of rock, water, plants, and diverse life forms.