I discovered pottery when I was in college. I managed to wheedle and cajole one of the art teachers into giving me a seat in the ceramics class even though I was not an art major. I quickly fell in love with it.

My main focus has been wheel throwing. More recently, though, I discovered the joy and creativity of handbuilding. Why? There is less clay recycling and clean-up with handbuilding compared to wheel throwing. However, I am still passionate about wheel throwing, developing smooth curves and forms with centrifugal force. And it is fun to get muddy!

I am a science, technology, and engineering teacher for Norwood Public’s middle school. I encourage all my students to be creative and improve their processes when problem-solving. There are many skills and parallels between my work and passion for pottery. We build stuff. We often break stuff. And then we determine “why did it break” and “how can we make it better next time?”

However, my background is actually in geology. I trained as a volcanologist – the study of volcanoes. I see many connections between ceramics -glazing and firing of different clay bodies- and the science of magma and lava. The fact that I can shift my geology background into making functional art is one reason that I am so drawn to ceramics.

I am inspired by the shapes and forms of Federalist and Victorian-era pewterware and silverware. The gentle slopes and sometimes stark profiles seem to naturally come out of my hands and shape the clay. However, since the pandemic, I’m drawn to also making some whimsical pieces. Lately, I’ve had lots of fun and success designing fairy houses and mushrooms as garden and home decor.

I’ve embraced seeing mistakes or unintended outcomes as new opportunities to explore. There are many times that I refuse to give up on a piece that seems determined to self-destruct. Even though it may not be efficient in time, it’s really fun to experiment and see what’s going to happen. I’ve discovered several new shapes and designs just by letting go of expectations.

… There was so much science in art. People are surprised that I have such a creative, artsy side – so left brain/right brain. But I crave creative discovery amongst all the facts and evidence.

I enjoy the challenge of fine-tuning my process. I like to be as efficient as possible with my time and materials but still have a joyful product in the end.

Another great reward is when we have our sales. I love seeing someone picking out a piece. I then wonder if it has found its “forever home.” It’s like adoption! I am happy knowing that people will use and enjoy my pieces.

A big challenge for me is timing. It’s tricky to ensure that pieces don’t dry out too quickly. I’m fine-tuning my process with damp boxes, as well as using vinegar and paper-clay slip when attaching handles or such. It’s tricky to complete an altered piece before it says, “I’m too dry.”

It’s also challenging to fit it all in – family, work, and pottery. It’s a balancing act to teach and grade, have quality family time, and take time for myself. However, I find it incredibly important to have my quiet, creative time. It helps me stay focused.

There’s a saying that pottery gets you “centered.” But it does. It’s mesmerizing and calming to work with a spinning pottery wheel. I love how meditative it is to work with a lump of clay, release its possibilities and release some stress.

This piece was going to be a dinosaur-shaped “piggy” bank. Then I put it in my damp box, placed it under a work table, and completely forgot about it. Maybe 6 months later I opened that box and discovered it. The piece was still workable; I rehydrated it enough to turn it into a lidded jar but it was too dry to attach a handle. Moving on, I was inspired to use a newly-purchased glaze that reminded me of one of my favorite collected rocks.

Once glazed, I had to be creative to make the lid functional. I scrounged up some twigs from my yard, wove them together, and used some glue, wires, and paint. In the end, it echoes my sample of snowflake obsidian. This piece’s journey was fun. Perhaps I’ll make more pieces this way in the months to come!