Why:
Just betweeen you and me, I am always intrigued by what I am told I should not be able to do with clay or glass. It unfailingly motivates me.
I create original contemporary art that always holds a story. A collector once said they loved my art because it was “elegant with a funky edge.” Inspiration comes from the drama and vagaries of daily living, including those of the spirit. My pieces usually appear in my head “fully dressed,” clamoring to get from mind to hands to fired art.
Clay and I first met in 2001 and while we have often had to negotiate on form, we have always agreed on content. Glass and I didn’t get together until 13 years later, but the same has held true. Whichever medium I use – we work well together … on thoughts with a need to be expressed … on pushing our respective limits … on constant exploration of what might be said.
I hope you are compelled to look back at the work; to contemplate it a little longer, to have a conversation with it. From my point of view, if my artwork gets you thinking –or feeling– then it has achieved its goal.
How:
Inspiration, design and composition is my first step. It’s important to me that my art express the thought that drives its being, regardless of medium. This in turn often allows me to ‘do what cannot be done,’ even though the materials I have chosen do not allow do-overs - once any piece or portion is kiln-fired, it is permanent.
-I favor a porcelainous clay whose temperament seems to match mine. My clay work generally starts on a potter’s wheel, thrown in sections, which are subsequently rethrown and engineered into a single work of art. As the work reaches critical stages, I use hand, imagination and technical skill to manipulate, alter and enhance.
-My glass pieces start with selecting or making the perfect glass to be used, from sheets to chunks to powders, from transparent to opalescent to dichroic, then melding them into a well-designed, cohesive piece.
All my work is kiln-fired multiple times, using a variety of methods. Thoughtful use of finishes, warm and cold, complete the process.
- HC