Artist’s Statement

        I love the challenge of the wheel in forming rounded or bottle shapes with

small openings at the top, and the unpredictable earthy results of Raku, wood,

 and pit firing. Always experimenting with color oxides, glazes and burnable

materials, each piece of pottery is totally unique. Expanding the range of firing

techniques, I built a high fire wood-burning kiln based on the Olsen Fast Fire kiln.

I am captivated by the interaction of earth, fire and water in the creation of objects

whose surfaces capture and reflect this interaction.

       I hesitate to call my work “pottery”, as that usually refers to functional ware.

 Creating one-of-a-kind pieces, I feel a great deal of satisfaction giving life to

 formless clay. Nature is very important to me. I often knead various sands

into the clay that have been collected during my travels or brought back to

 me by friends or relatives. Glass filaments, colored mica, and lava are

sometimes placed around rims before glaze firing.  All of my wood-fired

glazes contain ashes from Mt. St. Helen’s volcano mixed in as part of

 the recipe. I also work tiny copper filaments into clay and glazes. The

gold glaze contains silver nitrate among other things. It was developed

as a tribute to a dear friend named Goldie who died of cancer. In the

reduction phase of Raku firing, I have recently been experimenting with

Spanish moss and various seaweeds.

   Currently serving as an adjunct professor at Danville Community College

 and Averett University, both located in Danville, Virginia, I live and maintain

 a studio in Semora, North Carolina.