I came to Potters Place over 20 years ago as a student with Henriette, the person who founded the studio. I never left because I find that a great way for me to speak is through clay. I really love expressing myself through clay.

I’m now teaching. And I teach all levels, both hand building and throwing.

I think with any potter, their favorite forming method and style changes from time to time. I used to just throw. I love to throw. But now I’m really into a hand-building phase where I look at pictures online and in books. If I see a shape that captures my eye, like a square vase or a circular vase I take that as the basic shape but then I have to improve it. I have to make it my own. I have to add something to it, take something away from it. So right now that’s my challenge – handbuilding using geometric shapes.

I encourage all of my students to do their own thing. Like – okay we’re going to throw a cylinder. Let’s learn the basics, but then make the cylinder your own. Do something creative with it.

Two things inspire my pottery. One is, I like to help people learn new skills. People who want to learn a process that they can’t master, maybe I can help them learn how to do it. I find it rewarding to share what I know with others. To show them shortcuts to make what they want to make. To make it easier for them.

Secondly, I get inspiration for my own work from shapes and texture. I’m really into texture and using anything I have at hand to make an impression on something. It’s fascinating that the more texture you have on a piece, the more different colors you get with glaze combinations.

To relax. When I need to get away from life’s everyday garbage and stressors. It’s kind of a joke for people who have been here a long time that if I’m on a wheel and I’m throwing and I’m biting my tongue – don’t bother talking to me because I won’t hear you. I can totally lose myself in the clay and relax.

Fun, peaceful and sharing.

I think any challenge in pottery is doing something totally new or improving on the basic thing you know how to do. And the only way to complete that challenge is by repetition. You just keep at it and if you get really frustrated, walk away. And come back later and do it again. Eventually you complete your challenge.

I find it especially rewarding to challenge myself and then being able to complete the challenge.

A few years ago we got into Raku. I love doing hand built vessels out of multiple layers of geometric shapes and applying different glazes to a raku piece and have it come out without breaking. Those are my absolute favorite pieces.