Education

2005 - BFA Painting and Drawing and BA Psychology - Mankato State University

2006 - 2008 - stone carving apprenticeship with Sabah Al Dahar - Seattle, WA

Background

In 2017, after years of trying out a variety of different career paths, I found myself in a PhD program in Clinical Psychology, and pretty unhappy. I’ve always been a very creative person, so I sought out ceramics as a respite from long hours at a computer working on coursework. Fortunately, I found access to a fully equipped pottery studio through a friend, where I gradually taught myself to throw on the wheel and make my own glazes with the help of books, online videos, and lots of experimentation. After a few months, I hesitantly set up a booth at the farmer’s market, and through the kindness of others and the support of my community, I’ve been able to continue making pottery full time ever since.

Process

All of my work is thrown on the wheel with a variety of clays, from iron rich stoneware to porcelain. I typically fire in a gas kiln with a light reduction atmosphere. I’m inspired by minimalist Scandinavian and Japanese design, with an emphasis on simplicity of form and functionality. I can spend hours in the design phase before putting something into production, taking into consideration proportion, line, texture, and how they interact, striving to create something that feels good to hold and use daily.

Clay

The process of making pottery has the capacity to be one of life’s greatest teachers. Throwing on the wheel requires a balance of control with submission, while accepting the material characteristics of clay and the physical forces which affect its shape and form. It can take months before a piece is completed from start to finish, and after many long hours of work and planning, the final stage of the process is surrendered to the kiln, where fire and oxygen will ultimately determine the finished product, in which anything can happen - things break, blow up, electrical systems fail, glazes aren’t applied properly, and on and on. Because of this every firing turns out differently, sometimes with disappointments but always with wonder at the transformation that occurs when heat is applied to raw elements. Through this journey, I’ve learned about the essential value of patience, acceptance, flexibility, fragility, transformation, and letting go.

Ceramic pots take time and great care. It still amazes me that a solid and functional object can be created from something that was once just dust and water, a practice which is both an ancient and universal aspect of human civilization. They are a daily reminder that anything worth doing in life requires trusting the process and accepting that so much of what is determined in life is out of our control.

I strive to make humble, quiet pottery that is functional yet beautiful. It is my hope that these pieces will live with their owner daily, beside them with their morning coffee or at a dinner table surrounded by friends and family. The process has brought me a greater sense of peace, humility, and gratitude, which I hope to pass on through my work.