I am a native of Greensboro, North Carolina and lived in NC until 1979. Following a graduate program at Duke, I married and moved to Houston, Texas, where I worked in continuing education for 15 years. I went back to school in 1994 to pursue my interest in aging and behavior and received a masters in public health with a major in behavioral science. I then taught and did research before relocating to Chapel Hill.
I first discovered clay when I was nineteen and visited Teague Pottery in Seagrove, NC. A potter who was demonstrating the potter’s wheel asked me if I would like to try my hand at it. I replied yes, and the minute my hands touched the spinning clay, I knew that I would be a potter. Years later, I began to realize that dream.
Like many potters, I began my journey working on the wheel. After a shoulder injury, I switched to handbuilding. It took me several courses, but one day, everything fell into place. I've never looked back.
My current work is handbuilt from slabs. Most of my pieces are vessels, and the idea of containment is central to my pottery. My flat vase forms create interplay between two and three dimensions. The interiors of low horizontal vases are often partially concealed. Circles, or moons, are a recurring motif, as are rectangles. The latter reflect a life-long fascination with doors and windows and again point to contents within.
My husband and I have a deep appreciation for ukiyo-e woodblock prints, and this nineteenth century Japanese aesthetic informs my craft. I am also influenced by mingei, or traditional Japanese folk art pottery.My forms often echo Japanese pottery without being derivative. There are also echoes of Art Deco, which pays homage to my grandmother, and of mid-century modern decor, which reflects my home.
My Raku is fired to 1850-1900 degrees and given post-firing reduction in newspaper. I fire my stoneware to cone 6 oxidation.
Working with clay is a meditation and a joy. I hope that people who view my work will likewise derive pleasure from my art.
I first discovered clay when I was nineteen and visited Teague Pottery in Seagrove, NC. A potter who was demonstrating the potter’s wheel asked me if I would like to try my hand at it. I replied yes, and the minute my hands touched the spinning clay, I knew that I would be a potter. Years later, I began to realize that dream.
Like many potters, I began my journey working on the wheel. After a shoulder injury, I switched to handbuilding. It took me several courses, but one day, everything fell into place. I've never looked back.
My current work is handbuilt from slabs. Most of my pieces are vessels, and the idea of containment is central to my pottery. My flat vase forms create interplay between two and three dimensions. The interiors of low horizontal vases are often partially concealed. Circles, or moons, are a recurring motif, as are rectangles. The latter reflect a life-long fascination with doors and windows and again point to contents within.
My husband and I have a deep appreciation for ukiyo-e woodblock prints, and this nineteenth century Japanese aesthetic informs my craft. I am also influenced by mingei, or traditional Japanese folk art pottery.My forms often echo Japanese pottery without being derivative. There are also echoes of Art Deco, which pays homage to my grandmother, and of mid-century modern decor, which reflects my home.
My Raku is fired to 1850-1900 degrees and given post-firing reduction in newspaper. I fire my stoneware to cone 6 oxidation.
Working with clay is a meditation and a joy. I hope that people who view my work will likewise derive pleasure from my art.
