“...failure with clay was more complete and more spectacular than with other forms of art. You are subject to the elements... Any one of the old four - earth, air, fire, water - can betray you and melt, or burst, or shatter - months of work into dust and ashes and spitting steam. You need to be a precise scientist, and you need to know how to play with what chance will do to your lovingly constructed surfaces in the heat of the kiln.”
-A.S. Byatt, The Children’s Book
I have been working with clay for over thirty years. What started as an enjoyable pastime with friends quickly became a passion. After studying various techniques at Mohawk College and the Haliburton School of the Arts, I left a career in scientific research to become a full time ceramic artist. This research background has allowed me to pursue glaze development and challenging firing techniques, primarily raku and wood-firing. With these techniques, each piece is unique as variances in the firing process prevent any effect from being duplicated exactly.
I create a variety of items ranging from jewellery and Christmas ornaments to life-sized sculptures. These objects can be either wheel-thrown or hand built, often with incorporation of stamped and moulded elements. Some of my pieces include transfers created from photographs of my travels. I often decorate with multiple layers of glaze in an attempt to obtain original, rich surfaces.
My work is constantly changing and evolving as I gain inspiration from my travels and encounters with other artists.
I am a partner of the Jordan Art Gallery, where I sell most of my work, but I am also represented by other shops and galleries and often participate in shows and sales throughout the Niagara Peninsula and the GTA. Every summer, I enjoy teaching the raku ceramics class at the Haliburton School of the Arts.
My work has been included in the books: 500 Prints on Clay: An Inspiring Collection of Image Transfer Work and 500 Raku: Bold Explorations of a Dynamic Ceramics Technique.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.