My works are sculptural vehicles to compose abstract paintings with glaze.  I work to accomplish compositions that harmonize in form, texture, and color.  The pieces range from sculptural vessels that express fluidity of form and explore that particular natural quality of clay to fragmented wall pieces which focus primarily on geometry.  My fragmented wall pieces are wall sculptures that become ceramic canvases which express the rigid, fragmented and broken qualities of clay enhanced by geometric glaze paintings.  The minimal sculptures express the rigid quality of clay giving me a pure sculpture form to express geometric compositions on geometric forms.

I use the glaze firing process of "Raku" which comes from the long history of Japanese involvement in clay.  It is a process by which the pieces are fired rapidly to approximately 1800 degrees, then cooled rapidly to approximately 1200-1300 degrees.  At this temperature, the pieces are submerged into a combustible material (ie: pine needles).  These ignite and engulf the pieces in flames for approximately 10 minutes.  The fire is smothered and the pieces are left to smolder for 3-4 hours.  This smoke reduction atmosphere blackens the clay body, penetrates the glazes leaving enhanced crazing and enriched glaze colors.

The spontaneity and aesthetic value of change become an individual qualtiy of each piece often giving the work a felling of timelessness.  Due to the "Raku" process, imperfections, crazing and cracking are to be expected and appreciated as part of this ancient firing method.

I use clay and the raku firing method to accomplish and express myself as a sculptor and painter.