Artist Statement
As a gardener I love feeling the earth in my hands, its smells and colors. As an artist I find the clay sensuous and enjoy its earthy texture. When I work with this material, I am reminded that it is the substance from which all life springs - the matrix of creation. My work has a primal quality and is linked to other cultures and times. It is dedicated to honoring our connection to Source, the Sacred Earth, her shamanic, spirit-filled cultures and her diverse kingdom of creatures. In performing this work, I sense a deeper connection with this eternal heartbeat.
The act of creating is a mysterious experience. I listen for the voice of the material, seeking a dialogue with it. The piece takes a shape, a color, a personality, a spirit. As I learn to communicate with the piece I am working with, I find that it is leading me to itself. To my view, they hold a radiance beyond the mere materials used. They express the sacredness of our earth and the essential spirit in all things.
All pieces are made by hand, or turned on the potter’s wheel. In kinship with early Meso, Native American and African potters and weavers, I use simple materials: an iron-rich red earthenware and white stoneware. After forming the pieces, many of them are polished over a period of several days with a piece of agate. The polishing begins when they are “leather hard” (too damp to scratch and too dry to mar). This process compacts and transforms the dull surfaces to a beautiful patina much like polished wood, stone or bone. This “burnishing” method has been in use for millennia and is still used by first nation cultures. It was widely used before glazes were invented to seal pottery. I feel a kinship with these artists and appreciate organic and simple techniques. Once the polishing is complete, the pieces are fired in a brick and earth kiln, which is partially buried in the ground. The pieces are decorated by the interaction of fire and smoke, which is created by the combustion of sawdust, paper, straw, wood and seaweed. The results are unpredictable. No glaze is found on their warm and sparkling surfaces, only the smoky design and color from their natural pigments. It is a pleasant surprise to see how exquisitely beautiful clay can be all by itself!
