The majority of my work is made to be interacted with in some way.  As a clay worker I observe the relationship between earth materials and humans, in hopes that my creations can be integrated into daily life, enriching the experience through their presence and intentional use.  For this purpose I make mostly functional pottery and interactive sculpture not just for the art pieces themselves, but for the space that can be created around them.  

I fire my work atmospherically: fire, smoke, wood ash, vaporized salt and soda; these are some elements that paint the ceramic surfaces and tell stories of transformation from clay to stone.  I like the wide array of colors and textures that can be achieved in atmospheric kilns and I appreciate the hard work and community that it takes to fire them.  With so much effort going into each firing it’s important to me that every piece I offer up to the fire is something that I made with purpose and intention.  

Incorporating wild harvested materials into the clay and glazes I use gives the medium a sense of place and character that I can relate to directly.  In this way the material becomes a bridge between me and the environment I choose to draw inspiration from.  I seek this connection through the harvesting and manipulation of unrefined materials in hopes that my creations will tell their own stories of where they come from and who made them.