Inspiration for many of my pottery vessels comes from nature! The clay I use comes from the earth in many colors and textures, including white, brown, red and black. Natural materials abound and are available for me to collect as I walk in my neighborhood, the mountains or the seashore. Native California fibers such as Coulter or Torrey pine needles, cones, seed pods, semi-precious stones and shells, make each piece unique.

After I had learned the basics of “how to throw” on the potter’s wheel, about 35 years ago, I found it to be relaxing, and a very creative and expressive art medium. The soft feel of the clay and it’s pliability makes working with it almost a meditative thing.
It is not my goal to seek perfection. A machine can “ throw” better than I and a lot faster. I do, however, seek to create an honest piece of work, aesthetically pleasing, that reflects my individuality with a little bit of me burned into it. Certainly my love of nature has influenced my work. Also my background as a painter encouraged my use of bright colors.

In recent years, I have had the pleasure of working with a fine fiber artist and archaeologist, Kaja Laustsen. The challenge of two minds working together, utilizing very different techniques, produces results which are exciting and different and sometimes even surprising. Several of the pieces on display are works done jointly. Valuable assistance on a few pieces was provided by Rosalie Hartman.

A final note, although my pots are often sculptural art pieces, I do like to make functional ware than can be used and enjoyed for a lifetime. My children and grandchildren can attest to that, as they use the sets of dinnerware I created for them.