Making a Living in Clay: A Practical Guide to Starting a Building a ...

15 th
centuries, I see butterdishes. Midwestern granaries become salt and pepper shakers. When
I see and advertisement for a wedding cake, in my minds eye, I see an elaborate cake stand
made from porcelain with a glaze of rich celadon enveloping its surface.
Although my influences come from various sources, I draw inspiration heavily from Chinese
porcelains during the Song Dynasty and Iznik wares from Turkey during the Ottoman Empire in
the 14th-15 th
century. The pristine white clay body and the clean, blue-green celadon glaze
attract my eye to the Song dynasty. During my stay in China, I studied Chinese ceramic history
and explored many traditional surface techniques. During this time I realized how important
surface, whether subtle or heavily detailed, is to my work. Treatments such as slip
embellishment, fluted edges and patterning serve as the visual forum in my work. Traditional
Chinese celadon accentuates the brightness of the clay body and draws attention to the details
below. Turkish pottery, has beautiful flowing patterns that create movement around the vessel.
For me, Turkish patterning is reminiscent of patterns I have drawn my whole life. The pattern I
create on my wares is a fusion between the memory of past sketches and the influence of the
Turkish design sense from the Ottoman Empire.
My current body of work has become a focus on the table and on the celebrations that happen
around it. The table provides a venue for an investigation in to the nature, history and traditions
of ceramics and utility. Celebration along with beautiful utility, continue to be the driving forces
behind my work. The idea of celebration extends my visual vocabulary in relation to form,
surface and most importantly function.
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