Relationships lie at the heart of my ceramic work. An inveterate arranger, I see the world around me through the lens of composition and spatial relationships, where visual components interact with each other to create a pleasing whole. Turning my lens on the clay components, juxtaposed surfaces, robust forms and added embellishments create relational compositions.

The colors I choose to work with, including the rich red of the earthenware clay, touch me deeply and convey the connection I feel between the earth, studio and table. You can see this in my limited palette of color that is primarily achieved with terra sigillatas and amber, green or clear glaze over white slip. My pots are fired in an electric kiln to Cone 04-02, about 1940-1960 degrees. 

I strive to create a balance between the honest, yet sometimes unmannered lines of construction, and the more formal considerations necessary in developing generous and functional forms that ring with harmony and a clear touch of the hand.

I draw inspiration from nature, nearby in the hills of Afton State Park, as well as far away in the distant landscape of Morocco, where I lived for two years. My influences run from North African and French cooking pots, the folk pots and textiles of Asia, Africa and South America and the rich Mingei tradition that has surrounded me in Minnesota.

I work with a coarse red earthenware clay body and seek the rich depth of color in old lead-like glazes while developing surfaces that suggest natural aging within the oxidation atmosphere of an electric kiln. I want the beauty of the clay itself to rise to the surface, whether it is under a skin of terra sigillata, white slip or layers below the rich amber or green glaze I am so fond of. These material choices have allowed me to achieve the variations I desire within an intentionally limited palette. They are earth-like, connected to the natural world and influenced by textiles, handmade crafts and artifacts, along with the historic folk and kitchen pots of France, England, Japan and Africa, specifically Morocco, where I lived for two years.