Clay is my chosen vice. My initial love in art was paint. I love the ability of paint to be manipulated to create color and texture on a flat surface that draws your attention and makes you want to reach out and touch it. After years of dealing with paint, I took a local pottery class for therapy. It was my way of thinking outside of the box and outside of my comfort zone while having some fun playing in the mud. I have found that clay offers me things that paint cannot. Clay offers me the challenge of transforming a lump of mud into something useful through the utilization of the spinning wheel and my own dexterity and coordination. It makes me think ten steps ahead so that I may be successful in that transformation. And, it gives me what I consider to be a bonus. Once I am done with the creation process, I can still revert back to my love of color and texture with slip and glazes. I not only have my useful platter, but a canvas to paint on as well. For me, this is the best of all worlds. In my love of art, I find that I am most drawn to those pieces I can touch. I incorporate that in my own work by creating pieces that are durable, useful, and colorful. For as much as I want to pick up a piece, I want the viewer to want to do the same with my work. Pick it up. Turn it around. Touch it….
