Artist Statement and Bio
I make human and animal clay figures with a psychological stance. My hand-built sculptural work imparts ideas through fragments of narrative, often with a humorous edge. I use collage to gather inspiration, developing ideas through sketching. one idea leads to another in an endless progression of personal narrative that reflects and feeds my inner life. I use a gritty sculpture clay, incise into the clay, bisque fire, finish with oxides, underglazes and glazes, then fire to cone 5/6.
My love of clay began at an early age with the encouragement of a neighbor who was a potter. In high school, I learned throwing and hand-building. Twenty years later I resumed classes, including a workshop with a teacher whose methodology fuses artmaking with the psychology of the creative individual, and whose approach I teach. I also pursued an academic art education at Bay Area schools through the first year of graduate study in ceramics. I taught at California venues and in my own studio, while participating in regional shows. In 2006, I moved to the Portland area, where I established Clay Circle Studio, and continue to show nationally and teach locally. In 2013, I was featured on Oregon Public Broadcasting’s “Oregon Art Beat.”