BIOGRAPHY

I was introduced to pottery as a teenager by a favorite aunt who lived in rural Missouri. A true passion for the medium was instilled in me by a charismatic ceramics teacher at Southeast High School in Wichita, KS. As a senior at Norman(OK) High School, I was fortunate to enroll in the first pottery class offered at the Firehouse Art Center. The founders, instructors, artists, and supporters of the Firehouse became my community. I was able to work and teach and serve on the Board of Directors at the Firehouse while I studied Ceramic Design at the University of Oklahoma.

After college, I accepted the position of Resident Potter at at cozy, community craft center, The Craft Alliance, in Shreveport, LA. I taught classes, managed the clay studio, and even lived in an apartment carved out of the attic of the big, old Victorian house that was The Craft Alliance. My position included teaching ceramics classes for LSU-Shreveport and Centenary College.

By the time I returned to Oklahoma as Executive Director of the Firehouse Art Center, I had moved out of the studio and was not making pottery. Professionally, my life moved from non-profit managemnt, to graphic design and publishing - with someretail sales management thrown in along the way. Happily, I had an opportunity to pursue another personal passion when I joined the team of the small-but-amazing landscape design firm, Garden Design Associates in Oklahoma City. As soon as The Studios at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center in Oklahoma City opened, I signed on to rent potterystudio space. I've found another community of faculty and staff and fellow renters and students who support and inspire me every day.

ARTIST INSIGHTS

How are your background and life experiences connected to your art?

I've always loved art and making things. I've always loved gardening and growing things. Both desires have roots in my family heritage. My love of art history, of design are imbedded in my brain. Life has guided me on a journey that recentlyfound a voice in these pots with their obvious botanical references. Not as obvious are the graphic design and art history influences in my work.

Who are some of your biggest artistic influences?

My basic pot shapes are rooted in classic Chinese forms. Applied leaf decorations have precedents in ceramics from many cultures - Japanese, Chinese, Italian, French, and English. My elaborate surface decoration is a tongue-in­ cheek homageto high styles from Meissen to Satsuma. I also admit to channelling the irreverent humor of the Funk Movement of the 1970s American West Coast.

How have you developed your artist career?

My art career, such as it is at this point, is fueled by my connections to artists and friends who support me.

What does your artistic work intend to communicate to its audience?

I hope folks do a double-take when they encounter my work. I hope my pots intrigue them enough to stop and look into the layers of each piece. Ultimately, I hope it makes them smile.

Does your work comment on any current social or political issues?

At the moment, my silly little pots have no deep meaning or sinister intent. But - one never knows, right?

Do you have a particular story that stands out from your career as an artist?

I cherish a moment I was throwing a pot on the potters wheel for a group of children. A small boy standing close told me "It's magic!" "It's not magic - just a lump of clay and I'm just pushing it around, I said. "Oh no. It's magic!" he assure me. I couldn't argue with him. It's a memory that crosses my mind each time i sit down at the wheel to throw. My wish is that some of that magic is imbued into every piece I make.

Why have you chosen to sell your work in the 1515 Lincoln Gallery?

I love the gallery. It's professional, high quality, and has a genuinely good vibe that I think suits my art.

What do you believe makes 1515 Lincoln Gallery distinct from other galleries?

I love the widely diverse range of art in the gallery. The common denominator in everything is quality.

artist statement

I like pots and pretty objects. I like making pots and pretty objects. I love to embellish the pots I throw on the potters wheel with leaves and rocks I mold from the same porcelain clay. Once the pieces are glazed and fired, commercial ceramic decals are collaged onto the surface and re-fired. Some pieces receive 24 karat gold leaf or other post-firing decoration.

I hope the peoplewho encountermy silly little pots see them as beautiful, or cute, or precious enough tolook closelytodiscover a surprising little interaction or juxtapostion- or not.

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