I choose to honor a sense of place, especially my home. My place has provided me a community of educators as well as suitable materials to work with. I use clay that is local to my region. In working with clay, I slow down and honor my materials creatively, drawing on them for inspiration. The North Carolina mountain landscape enters my work through recognizable images in my mind; the clay is literally part of the landscape of my home.
The movement of earth's layers and constant weathering integrate the local materials with each other making a unique set of particles. The local clay that I use is rich in particle variations such as iron, feldspar, organics, and quartz making the clay both plastic and unpredictable. Rather than refine the clay to fit all my needs I allow the clay to have its own voice. I enjoy finding myself working with clay and giving it the first priority allowing for naturally occurring parameters. I create many of my textures by exposing the interior of the clay through pushing out the large particles to the surface, rather than covering them up.
I enjoy natural elements of beauty that we cannot create we can only choose not to destroy. I like the potentials to communicate with simple clay forms. In the wood firing process I am exposing the clay to a journey of intense heat and combustion, which contains risk and balance. Along with the visual signs of fire, my interest in the fire is to infuse the work with a special life force that can only be understood through touch and experience. We all have our own life with form, and place, which we should honor. In encountering my work, I hope the viewer is called to their own unique home, family, and life in their particular place.