I am a sculptor working almost exclusively in clay. I create both indoor and outdoor pieces, most of which contain a realistic interpretation of a human or animal form. Occasionally I add a symbol derived from myth or a snippet of my subconscious to complete the piece.

I choose to work in clay because of the way it feels, its tireless unpredictability, the limitless possibilities for surface treatment and glazing, and the technical challenges it presents. I admire the sheer fragility it incorporates into the finished pieces. Clay as a medium both fascinates and frustrates me. In numerous cases, I’ve been humbled after cracks or explosions occurred during firing. Or unsatisfactory surface results after the glaze (second) firing. There is much experimentation and testing required to construct a piece of a certain size, shape or stance as well as the hunt to find the appropriate finishing for the surface.

My current body of work is titled Safari in Clay. After several years sculpting the human figure, I took a safari trip to Botswana. When I returned home to Washington, DC, I kept reliving the safari experience in my memory. I was captivated by the animals … their shapes, sizes, movements … and began to create animals in clay. The process is vastly different from how I had previously worked. I now sculpt from photographs that were taken on the safari, as I do not have the luxury of sculpting from the actual animal in my studio. I am thus studying a two dimensional image to create a three dimensional piece. The pieces are larger, maybe an influence from the element of sheer vastness so evident in the African bush landscapes.

My artistic expression has taken several forms as it continues to evolve. I have been involved in the visual arts as a free-lance digital artist in video and print, an instructor at the University level, and as a ceramic sculptor. In the early 1990’s, my graduate thesis was on using the Macintosh as an assemblage, montage and design tool. I used the computer to compose digital prints created from scanning and manipulating my own photographs and objects. Using a 3D program, I visualized and designed sculptures that I then formed in clay. I paired the three – dimensional pieces with the computer – generated prints when exhibiting. Many of the montages contained depictions of figures and body parts. This marked the beginning of my usage of the human and animal forms as a focal subject matter.

My hope is that these pieces evoke a positive feeling of respite from the hustle and bustle of city existence and tempt the viewer to glimpse a slice of nature.