Degrees

B.F.A / M.F.A. Ceramics Gerrit Reitveld Akademie, Amsterdam, Holland
B.S. Housing and Interior Design, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri

Art Studies

Forest Park Community College, St. Louis, Missouri

Handbuilding earthenware structures and vessels, forming slabs by hand, texturing clay, creating and applying glazes, sharing ceramic knowledge with others, mentoring teen artists, curating exhibits, and advocating for arts and education

The Perfection of Imperfection

The first time I touched clay, I knew I had found my calling. Since the early 1980s, my work has been defined by themes of ritual and ceremony, including exploration of the Japanese Tea Ceremony and primitive pit firing, in pieces like Coffee to Go, or my large-scale installation Celebration of Life, mirroring a funerary tomb. Influenced by years of international travels and living abroad, I realized that most cultures have more similarities than differences. Whether I am creating a vessel or working abstractly, the common denominator is marked by that which mankind has in common.

My art employs a controlled, yet random, manipulation of the clay in various states of plasticity that defines the form and reveals innate tactile traits. What happens when I slap a wet slab of clay on a thirsty plaster bat, or when my fingers pinch and prod the surface of an overly dry lump of terracotta? What can I do with the bits and pieces of clay salvaged from the work at large? Can they become an integral and creative part of the finished product? While symmetrical wheel thrown ceramics can be altered, the spontaneity of hand building empowers me to explore and celebrate the “perfection of imperfection.”

Each piece is driven by the clay’s characteristic qualities. I stretch wet slabs to their limit, watching as the spontaneously embedded texture fuses with the shape. Sometimes these shapes are torqued or twisted to create abstracted organic forms. Other times the long ribbons of textured slabs are utilized much like coils, building up an organic form or vessel, creating multiple layers of textured surface, or simply using bare slabs as a canvas where applied textures come alive. The spiral motif is often repeated throughout my work representing the path leading from outer consciousness to the inner soul.

See My Artist CV