Larkspur Party

      My art is three-dimensional and clay is the primary medium. Surface and form and their interaction are the formal concerns of my work. In the most successful three-dimensional work, surface and form seem to perfectly complement one another. My aim is to stimulate the sense of touch as well as the sense of sight. One of the joys of working three dimensionally is physical involvement with the material. My hope is that some of that tactile sense is communicated to the viewer through surface texture.

      Clay is one of the oldest materials utilized for art making, with a history stretching back to prehistoric times. It is richly symbolic, the material used to create human beings in many creation stories. This is particularly relevant for me as much of my recent work is figurative?human or animal. It is a sympathetic medium, which responds to every touch of the artist.

      My sources of inspiration include both the natural world and art history. The art and architecture of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican and Moorish Spain, the ancient pottery of Crete, Asia and America, and folk art of Africa and Mexico are all important to me. I am fascinated by objects and spaces invested with presence and power. Perhaps because our own culture seems so relentlessly focused on material concerns and concrete reality, I am interested in the intersection of larger, universal or spiritual themes with mundane, ordinary life. Another abiding source of inspiration has been nature, particularly birds, with their ability to see the world from the perspective of the air, and plants, with their yearly cycles of death and rebirth.

      The act of creating something out of simple materials never ceases to amaze me. Somehow the process of shaping clay allows me to express thoughts and feelings visually more effectively than I can express them verbally. Although I usually begin with a specific idea, process is also very important, as unexpected ideas may emerge and change the focus of the work.