Born in Charlottesville, Virginia, I call my studio VA Clay. After completing a B.S. degree at East Tennessee State University and an M.F.A. degree at Louisiana State University, I also attended Penland School, which provides opportunities for craft artists to hone their skills, develop markets, experiment, and develop new work.
With a strong background in functional pottery, I whole-heartedly engage in the fine craft tradition─Clay forms are the signature of time, leaving traces…images…impressions of man and culture, for present and future visual exploration.
My horse work was featured at the Virginia Museum of Art during the Picasso exhibit. My home studio is on the list of Virginia Artisans Trails- specifically the Monticello Artisans Trail.
As a lifelong resident of central Virginia, the environment has long been my inspiration. Drawn to the power of the mountains and the drama of the changing seasons, I travel on horseback, through fields and forests, absorbing the breath-taking beauty of my surroundings.
In nature, forms are not symmetrical, but unique and individual. Clay gives me a tangible medium to translate flashes of images or fragments of sensation into vessels that are functional sculpture. The tenacity of clay combined with its grace and fluidity, allows boldness and energy. My pieces reveal the force of wind, the rhythm of falling rain, the warmth of the sun, and the fluidity of time, as I see them in nature.
About The Medium
Clay is a tangible medium that is very obliging. I have developed my own clay body to accommodate the various forming techniques that I use to create my one-of-a-kind pieces.
T
he materials I incorporate into the clay are nontoxic and nonporous. Many of the finishes are matte. The stoneware is resilient and coarse, with colors ranging from rich brown to buff; it matures at 2380 degrees (cone 10). The forming techniques I use emphasize the malleable qualities of the medium; I let the clay suggest the outcome. Many of the architecturally correct works are weatherproof.
A certificate of authenticity is provided with this one of a kind work.