Why porcelain?

I love its fluidity and that I can take it to a wafer thin shape. 

Why white?

I love the purity of white, the way the light plays off the shapes I create. But most important, I feel white gives each shape center stage.

What are the origins of my shapes?

My pieces recall the forms and motions of flowers, sea plants and ocean waves. I had no plan to do this. It is what came naturally to me as I worked each piece of clay. My first hand-formed bowls, tiny as they were at one inch in diameter, recalled flowers. 

I live in a place where the ocean, landscape and lush gardens are woven together and have become part of me. Every morning I walk the beach and take in the view, salt air and light, and I leave inspired.

What is the process?

While I sometimes use just one simple metal tool to help me perfect my shapes, my favorite tool is my hand. My fingers can best smooth and perfect a wave's turn or a petal's rise and fall, and I have no worry about breaking through the wall. I feel it, and know it.

Each ball of clay is a unique, unpredictable entity, and so often, my turns and twists are done only with  its cooperation. In essence, I work along with the clay, working to move it to its full potential as an object of art.

With raw porcelain, no shape stays where I leave it. Imagine working with dough, where you flatten it, smooth it, and then try to bring it up into a form.  I prop every single move that hold the direction until the work is firm and totally dry.

Once it is bone dry I dab my fingertip with water and slightly soften the outer layer and then might use a blade to gently clean the shapes. Any pressure at this point in the drying process can cause a piece to shatter. 

Once that step is complete, the work goes into the kiln for two days to create a hardened surface called bisque. Bisque can be sanded, and sometimes I do hand sand to eliminate a rough spot or imperfection I may have missed. 

Next, I hand brush three coats of glaze to the  piece, sometimes with two to three hour intervals between coats. Two more days in the kiln for a final firing, and the piece is complete.

Every single step that gets to a completed work is a new adventure and the joy of my life. One really never knows what will emerge from the kiln. The more experience I get, the more daring I have become.

So these days, when I open the lid of my kiln, I am thankfully, more often than not, happy with what I see. Happy my risks brought me the reward of a special piece.

I welcome you to contact me to discuss a special request, or to make a purchase.