My hand built one-of-a-kind vessels and sculptural pieces are constructed from slabs with inlaid colored clay surfaces. Over the years, as this unique inlay process has evolved it has taken on a more painterly quality so that this body of work is essentially sculptural paintings. My palette currently includes over 100 colored clays. Since they are pressed into the slab before the piece is assembled, the form and surface are more integrated than in the traditional methods of applying glazes after the first firing. Another unique feature of working with the colored slabs is that the two sides of each piece can be worked like two completely different canvases. The contrast between the sides introduces a layer of complexity as well as an element of surprise.
Creating a sense of motion through the use of asymmetrical silhouettes has long been a characteristic of my forms. With the paired pieces (the teapots and vases), the interactive relationship between the forms is intended to express expanding energy.
Life experiences provide a deep well from which to draw inspiration. Seeds for ideas have also germinated from periodic travels to places like Korea, the Soviet Union and Mexico. The sources for the colors and forms come mostly from the natural world of the Hudson Valley, my home for many years.