Artist Statement
The need to work and create with my hands has been a life long driving
force. As a child I learned needlework from my grandmothers. This skill
later led to working with needlewoven beadwork. When introduced to clay
in 2006 I merged the problem solving and attention to detail of these
mediums into my work with clay.
My ceramic work is both decorative and functional. . Forms are mathematically configured with attention to their structure and use, both as individual objects and part of a larger grouping. I consider how the theme of each object will interact to form a family grouping with another.
Creating both decorative and functional work allows me the opportunity to explore in different ways. I have the luxury of creating designs that will be purely for decorative enjoyment as well as the challenge of how to incorporate some of those same themes into objects that will be used in daily life.
Bio
I cannot remember a time that I have not done some form of
handwork. My formal introduction was in Brownie Girl Scouts with counted
Cross-stitch. I am descended from a long line of multi-talented
needlewomen and remember many hours of making little “pillows” out of
scraps while staying with my grandmother.
I was introduced to beads in 1995 when a friend loaned me Creative Beadweaving by Carole Wilcox Wells. That was all it took for beads to begin to take over my life. I finally found what I wanted to do when I grew up!
As a self taught beader I have been fortunate to take classes with Carole Wilcox Wells and David Chatt, but most of my “bead” education has been from gleaned information and techniques from books and the internet. I think that this “self-taught” method combined with a shortage of supplies in the area where I live led me to be adventurous with my beading. I didn’t always have the beads needed when I started a project so I had to improvise. Improvisation led to designing. Creating with beads for myself and friends rapidly led to selling my work and teaching others.
I began publishing patterns of my original designs in 1997 and opened a bead store in 1999, Blue Bear Beads. In 2004 my life took a new path when I closed my shop, sold my condo and took life on the road full time in my RV. It was a great adventure, but after a year I was longing for a little more space and settled down in the Asheville, NC area.
Life took another unexpected turn when I went back to work at a “full-time day job” and discovered clay. I had been exposed to clay through my partner, Les Powell of Smoking Turtle Studio, but I had never considered it as a medium that I would work in. My full time job was in a clay center. You cannot be around it all day everyday without getting your hands muddy. So it was a natural step.
In January of 2010 I launched my own ceramic studio and am working hard to make it a success.
