My work is made in an effort to strike a chord with the viewer that conveys a fragile and fleeting existence. The Raku process is used to accentuate the intersecting fragility of life, passionate connections, and the pain of betrayal, using the matrix of the objects to allude to these concepts.  Using an interest in mathematics, I create patterns and explore the relationships between those patterns as well as the effect of the color and texture of the glaze on those patterns to elicit emotional responses. Each piece created is an attempt at a reflection of who I am as a person and as an artist, at the moment my hands touch the clay and continue through the glazing and firing processes.  In this reflection, my hope is that a viewer can find a connection to their own experiences on this journey of life.  In everyday life we journey on different paths, following passions and making decisions that conflict with emotional responses. The web of paths interconnect and fit together to create patterns in our life, helping to lead us toward the next challenging path. The work I endeavor to create is in an effort to map those choices, pinpointing and illuminating the fractures and fragility of the emotional bonds that can bring meaningful connection…  bonds that can be strengthened or destroyed at any moment.

New Body of Work: Evolution of Color

For the past couple of years, I’ve been working on developing a brand new color palette of glazes and this show represents the fruits of my labor. My color vocabulary is split between very muted and pastel shades and a brighter, more vibrant color scheme. 

Many of the color combinations on my pieces are directly influenced by nature. The chemicals chlorophyll, carotenoids, and anthocyanin are collectively responsible for shades of green, orange, and purple in foliage. These and many other chemical compounds direct how certain light wavelengths are reflected or absorbed to show the colors your eyes can see. 

Although I’m using a different variety of chemicals to achieve these colors, the process is very similar. Chemicals are used in various combinations and percentages in my base glaze to achieve the colors I’m looking for. I’ve created hundreds of test batches of glazes that were carefully applied to test tiles and fired. These test tiles were then narrowed down to about 40 different shades and colors to consider for my latest body of work.