A little about me.

I grew up in a home where I was always encouraged to be creative and explore as much as possible. I was engaged with the arts through middle school and high school, and began my college education studying social work with a minor in fine art. In 2003 I changed directions and transferred to Philly U to study Industrial Design. As a young product designer, I thrived creating aesthetic, functional and ergonomic objects. A year after I graduated, I decided to take a course in ceramics at a local art studio. This is when I discovered the magic of clay. To me, ceramics was the perfect marriage of my fine art and industrial design backgrounds. I could create beautiful, functional forms by hand. 12 years later my love for clay only continues to grow. I now create out of both my West Chester, PA home studio and my local studio in Chester Springs, PA, where I wood-fire my work in a kiln I helped build with my amazing community of fellow ceramic artists.

a little about my process

Working with clay is constantly surprising, as I manipulate and respond to a delicate balance of moisture, the heat and ash of the kiln, and the sometimes unexpected ways my glazes come alive in the kiln's atmosphere. With each firing a new discovery is unearthed.

I start with a high fire clay body, thrown into forms on the wheel, then carved on the surface. My forms, textures, and surface treatments are reflections of my observations from exploring the outdoors with my pup Slip. Our adventures also inform my color palette and glaze choice. After an initial bisque fire, I glaze my pieces for the final wood firing, considering carefully how each pot will benefit from the atmosphere in the kiln, how the glaze might react depending on which chamber of the kiln I use, and how the smoke and ash will play across the surfaces.

I am lucky enough to fire my work in group firings with my ceramic’s community. Each firing is an event. We position our pieces inside the chambers, ignite the flames, and stoke the fire continuously for 24 hours until the kiln reaches 2350 degrees Fahrenheit. All the while, we snack on our favorite kiln side foods, tell stories, and share the responsibility of watching over each other's pots as their final forms are realized. Once temperature is reached, the kiln is closed, and slowly over 3 days the heat subsides and our work is ready. We share in each other's joy as each piece is removed from the kiln, a newly discovered wonder of clay, fire, and atmosphere.

A Little Bit about my pup!

Inspirations for my work come from exploring nature with Slip, or more formally Michael Simon Slip (a decorative black slip I use quite often on my pots, reminiscent of his black-spotted tongue). Slip and I have adventured together on backpacking trips to the Appalachian Trail, on weekly morning hikes at local preserves with his favorite four-legged neighbors, on walks around town with Dad after work, and on quiet afternoons in the backyard gardening. He is goofy, curious, and persistent, and is happiest when he’s roaming the outdoors, just like his Mom. He always helps me see the world a little differently, and appreciate the wonderful little things I might pass by if he didn’t stop to take a sniff.