My research is motivated by the instability of modern-day agricultural practices: monoculture, mass food production and synthetic chemical use. The macrocosm of these issues play a key role in the dysfunction of an environment: land depravation, soil erosion, and an individual’s health and communal engagement. The affects these practices have on the human body and the ecosystem have encouraged my artwork to be stimulated within the slow-food movement: grow your own food, know your farmer, forage for seeds and local materials and create a symbiotic balance between yourself and the land.
My ceramic art practice reflects the slow-food movement in a number of ways, I forage local lands for wild clay, quartz and sand, which allow me the basic materials to create. The collection of plant matter, seeds and wood also take place, these materials add to the decorating process, help me grow new plants and crops, and fuel the wood kilns I fire my work in. This act of foraging is done with careful consideration to the land, never taking more than I should and leaving no trace behind. The ceramic objects I create elevate the garden and encourage a shared meal with one another: large serving platters, fermentation crocks, pouring vessels, and dinner plates. Through constant encouragement of wholesome eating, I often host intimate dinner parties, inviting foreign guests from the community to break bread together. The ceramic objects bridge the connection to the labored land and stimulates the food shared together.
I grew up in Columbus, Ohio, where I spent most of my youth painting with oils and crafting. I hold a BFA from The Ohio State University and a MFA from the University of Florida. I have completed residencies in Northern California and Japan. Currently, I teach ceramics at Mendocino College and reside in Middletown, California.