Artist Statement
I have always wanted to be a potter—never any other kind of artist. Utilitarian ceramics allow me to create something accessible, complex, beautiful, and of service. The challenge of balancing function with visual intrigue is demanding. It requires precision, restraint, and deep consideration. Pottery is a uniquely rigorous art form—it asks the maker to consider concept, form, and surface not in isolation, but in relation to use. Every decision must support both artistic integrity and utility, appealing broadly while holding meaning. Though often underappreciated, these functional forms carry beauty into daily life—a challenge I hold with great respect. Working hard is in my nature, and I find contentment in a medium that demands persistent labor and humility.
I work with clay because it is both limitless and grounding. The tactile allure of a vessel captivates, even at a glance. A pot has no boundaries, and the maker is responsible for crafting beauty that serves and exists harmoniously within its environment. How a vessel feels in use creates an intimate moment of synchronicity between object and person.
My pottery reflects moments from my time spent in nature—those instances when I feel singular, humbled by expansive land and sky. Wide horizons, vibrant or subdued skies, mountains, and natural patterns translate through color and form. Tinkering with glazes to find the perfect pigment has evolved beyond a step in the process; it now acts as a catalyst in the studio and a necessity of expression. Sleek, assertive silhouettes offer a canvas for color and draw the eye. My interest in human-designed objects and environments stems from growing up in the farm-speckled countryside of New York State. Crop lines in a field or windmills on a hillside punctuate and speak to the evidence of human presence in nature. An appreciation for modernist and industrial design also provides a counterbalance to natural inspiration, reflective of my upbringing in the Finger Lakes region of western New York. This results in streamlined forms and simplified line and shape.
Designing a pot often begins with a desire to reflect moments or objects that linger in my memory—whether shaped by people, place, or the interaction between the two. Functionality is always present in my considerations. Simple incisions invite the hand; soft rims support the lip. These details bring the piece to its full purpose: an object rich in visual interest that also invites interaction, even if only imagined by the viewer.
By bringing my ceramics to a table setting, a shelf, or into the hand, I create pieces that subtly shift awareness. A pot can comfort, mark an occasion, or become intertwined with a life. A pot is powerful.