I believe that handmade objects are vital to our daily lives. At Earthworks Pottery, I make well-crafted ceramic art that forms a connection with people through functionality and aesthetic beauty. My wheel-thrown and hand-built red earthenware bowls, cups, mugs, platters, tea pots, vases, butter dishes, pitchers and more are delightfully decorated to imply a sense of home, whimsy, comfort, and the natural world. Academic training in painting and drawing allows me to move freely between two-dimensional, decorative expression and three-dimensional, functional design. In the end, my body of work represents a meeting of these two worlds, capturing pottery from a different point of view.I use an earthtone palette of soft greens, blues, purples, whites, and reds in my underglazes, slips, and glazes. I have always been moved by the work of Impressionist painters Cezanne, Renoir, Van Gogh, and Degas, whose use of color and mark-making inspire my own work, again and again. Fields, flowers, homes, hillsides, windswept trees, and walkways frequently appear as centerpiece images in my work. Likewise, the marks and linear quality of the German Expressionists influence my carving and sgraffito techniques, giving each piece an individual identity.

By altering my forms when they are wet, and layering them with color and imagery before bisque firing, I can capture a sense of movement in my work that mimics the swaying and bending forces of the natural world. Together, the pots work well as a “family,” personified through interactive surfaces and thematic designs. Each piece likewise remains unique, with small images decorating the underside of a mug, a dream-like narrative painted around a serving dish, or a human-like design flare on a handle or spout.