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first was drawn to wheel thrown pottery while studying engineering
at Cornell. Unfortunately I was never able to take the class
as it was only open to students in the school of Art and Architecture.
Five years later I was able to learn to create pottery at the
pottery cooperative which was located on the Stanford campus.
That was over 30 years ago and since then creating pottery has
been a significant part of my life.
I love to create functional pottery that is well-balanced
and pleasing to the eye and touch. I get a great deal of satisfaction
from creating pieces enjoyed by people for daily use. I strive
to make pottery that works as well as it looks. When you pour
tea from one of my teapots, it needs to feel right. The balance
should be perfect. Form needs to follow function so that the
resulting work is as beautiful as it is useful. I work in
buff stoneware, firing the pieces to Cone 10 in a reduction
atmosphere. On most of my work, I achieve design by overlapping
glazes. On others, I decorate some pieces by carving designs
into the surface. Most the pottery that I produce has an intended
purpose. I make pots to hold liquids, serve food, and display
flowers. Usefulness is an inseparable element in the aesthetic
in my pottery.
My
Pet Plates are an exception to the useful criteria I usually
employ. My Pet Plates are a one of a kind portrait of a pet
that I create using a process which starts with a headshot
photograph that culminates in a portrait carved onto the face
of a plate which is laboriously glazed to be reminiscent of
a painting.
The
inspiration for my work is personal. I have been working with
clay for over 30 years. Although I learned the basics from
other people and have attended many workshops, read many books
and watched many potters, I learned pottery from doing. Making
things over and over, analyzing what feels and looks right,
and seeing what works and what doesn't. The work I produce
comes out of personal experience. I have lived in the Santa
Cruz Mountains for twenty years and am inspired by the beauty
and quiet of the mountains. I just love to be in my pottery
studio looking out at the trees and the birds, sometimes through
the fog and the rain. I get the greatest pleasure out of not
having to leave my home. A perfect day for me is to stay home
throwing pots for hours on end, enjoying being in the mountains
and not having to go anywhere.
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