ARTIST STATEMENT

My joy is the truth I find in both the functional and the sculptural clay. The sculptural aspects of my work often reveal the truths I’ve discovered in literature. Literary allusions, religious icons, and elements of pop culture are common char­ac­ter­istics. Many of these elements also emerge in my masks. I have made masks for over twenty years. At one time, they evoked ideas of the primitive, or elements of the sea, or even the darkness of the human spirit. Today, many of them touch on those same themes, but, with the addition of iconic imagery, they have become explorations of morality, race, music, modern media, and other topics. Working with clay provides me the opp­ortunity to explore my loves. Whether it is mak­ing serving bowls, teapots, or masks, each brings new opportunities to find truth in “making by hand.”