My studio practice heavily revolves around research into the subjects I am interested in discussing. I delve into books and other written texts for academic study. Visual research is also incredibly important. I spend hours at a time looking for images that spark something within me.
I enjoy working with low fire clay and underglazes with my sculptures. The bright, matte colors are incredibly appealing on the textured surfaces I like to form. Maquette work is informative to the content and technical construction of later pieces. Working in that scale also appeals to my love of the intimate object or trinket.
Creating multiples of an object, whether replicating through sculpture or casting, can be a therapeutic, repetitive process. The build up of content becomes incredibly powerful to me, personally, and it is my hope that the viewer will feel the same once all of the elements of the work come together.
It has been an attempt to combine both large and small scale elements recently. The larger forms create a space to encapsulate the mass produced pieces. I also have plans to bring in glass, wire, and lighting to further expand the content of this work.
I am always reevaluating ideas and trying to figure out the most concise way to express my thoughts. I find that more and more I am drawn to creating mixed media works. Often the non clay elements frame the ceramic works or steady the mind for a moment as the viewer processes the content laden sculptures.