I graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a BA in art. My intention was an emphasis in painting, but I was required to take a ceramics class before I could graduate. I enjoyed throwing pots on the wheel, tho I was never very good at it. But the last assignment of the semester was to make a sculpture, and I was hooked.
Clay is an amazing medium for me. I believe that art has a spirit to it, and my job is to create a sculpture to house that spirit. There is a quality of aliveness to so much art, and I often feel like I am working in conjunction with that spirit to create the sculpture it becomes.
My work is very informed by myth and folklore. I am an animal lover and I enjoy creating animals in clay. I love the image of shape shifters, and I often sculpt humans shape shifting into animals, or vise versa, and into or from trees. I call much of my work mytho-fantastical, because so much of what I do is inspired by myths and the magical, fantastic creatures in myths and folklore.
I like reaching back into that (perhaps not so) bygone era when humans recognized that nature was filled with spirits and magical beings that interacted with us, both in beneficial and malevolent ways.
I am very interested in and inspired by European Paleolithic cave paintings, and enjoy integrating those images into my work. I have always liked the look of “primitive” art, and Paleolithic carvings that have been buried and aged for thousands of years.
What is special about the materials or tools you use in your work?
Clay is a direct connection to the earth, and helps keep me grounded. It is pliable and forgiving, yet has its own quirks and personalities that must be respected.
What do you like most about Tacoma, Puget Sound, or the Pacific Northwest?
The Pacific Northwest is home. I cannot imagine living in a place without trees and mountains. Without our infamous rain we would not have our beautiful “Evergreen” State.
