PROCESSES

My work in the studio is defined by the seasons, and by show deadlines that truly do function to focus the mind. Typically, this translates into work cycles lasting several months, broken up by time for glazing and kiln firings.

The production tools in my studio are the potters wheel, the wedging table, the slab roller, the work table, and a variety of tools for cutting, pounding, paddling, rolling, and texturing the clay.

Much of the pottery is thrown on the wheel. I use the kick wheel for the smaller pots, and turn to the electric wheel for throwing the larger pots. The square slab plates and slab vases are made using soft clay slabs initially rolled out on the slab roller. I then cut these slabs to size, texture them as needed, and construct the shapes. Also, I've learned to take advantage of the beauty of clay thrown down repeatedly on the wedging table and stretched into natural forms. I use this method to create “solid-form” vases and free-form slab plates.