I have been making pots consistently now for about 13 years. Bowls, containers of various shapes and sizes, cups, vases, and a number of different pouring pots comprise the majority of my output. Most often I am attracted to the subtle or understated qualities of a form or surface, whether it is a building or a seed pod, and this in turn influences my own work. I try for a basic simplicity in form and add complexity through surface and detail, choosing surfaces that don’t reflect a lot of light or those that are translucent.
The activities of making and using pots both soothe and excite me. I am encouraged when others experience value added to their lives by living with pots. Offering aesthetic, useful objects is a rewarding way of attempting to contribute something of honest intent to the world. I believe in the primary importance of form, followed closely by a descriptive, supporting surface. The pieces I am happiest with reflect my affinity for both the primitive and the refined, and often suggest an aspect of quiet grace.
My pots are primarily thrown on the potters wheel from porcelain or white stoneware clay. Many are then worked further by altering the original round form and adding thrown or hand built parts. I work in a small series and approach each piece individually, hoping to recognize its expressive potential at the same time that I consider the intended function. My wood-burning kiln requires an average of 17 hours of rhythmic stoking to reach temperatures exceeding 2350 degrees Fahrenheit. This method of firing creates atmospheres in the kiln that can contribute to a uniquely warm, complex surface on the pot. The heat and resultant ash-bearing flame created in the firebox are pulled through the kiln by the draft of the chimney, leaving a record of this flow in the ash that is deposited on the pots in the ware chamber. The minerals in the ash affect the glazed surface of the pot, and on areas I have left unglazed the melted ash becomes a glaze of its own. This marriage between the surface details imposed by my hand and the variations added by the firing process allows me to indulge both my attention to detail and my desire to invite an element of chance to the final outcome. It requires me to heed both intuition and reason, and in turn offers a world of wonder and surprise. Often I inject a sodium solution into the kiln towards the end of the firing, which helps to smooth out the surface of the pots as well as add brightness and complexity to the glazes.