I am an artist and arts educator living in Boulder, Colorado. My main focus is with raku ceramics, combining hand-built and wheel thrown pieces to create various vessel forms, and sculpture.
I have recently begun building welded steel frames that interplay with various animals, insects and plant life. Raku is an organic and often unpredictable process that complements my interest in all things mythical, natural, and ceremonial. I am interested in textural forms, blending sculpted elements with wheel thrown elements. My glazing is minimal, and mixed with burnished terra sigillata surfaces with raw clay instead of glaze, challenging myself and the viewers to focus on form, shape, and line.
Raku pottery is a 500 year old Japanese art form that is centered around the traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony. It expresses a philosophy of ceremony, community, and simplicity. When firing in my kiln, the pots are taken directly out of the kiln at 1800 degrees F. and placed into a chamber with combustible materials, creating a carbon-rich environment that interacts with the clay surface.
I also enjoy being out in nature in all seasons to create 2D work such as pastel, pencil, and watercolor.
If I’m not working en plein air, I’m working in my strawbale studio that I built on my property. As an educator in public schools for almost 30 years, I have worked in a wide variety of styles and materials, keeping my passion for creative exploration open and welcoming of new ideas.