I walked into a pottery class my freshman year in college and fell in love with clay. My professor had been trained in China and was very demanding. Two semesters later my skill at throwing basic repeatable forms met his expectations. Learning design and glaze application took longer. In ceramics, I learned you can spend many lifetimes learning the techniques and artistry of pottery.

 

I chose a career in teaching K-12 art and loved that job for 25 years. It was demanding, rewarding and kept me very busy. However, there were times when I could concentrate on my art and that usually meant practicing on the potters wheel. Upon retiring from teaching, I was fortunate to be able to spend a lot more time with art and I chose to concentrate on clay.

 

I began my "second career" by working on getting back to mastering the potters wheel. But soon I found handbuilding and sculpture were long lost loves as well. My painting and drawing skills have come into use for decorating tiles and making images on pots. Figure drawings have become sculptures of the human form.

Clay is an inherently expressive medium and so wonderfully suits my artistic style. Being an artist is an endless learning experience and a joy to share with others. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to create art and add beauty to my world.