Over the past fifteen years of my ceramics career I’ve had a diverse practice exhibiting, teaching, designing and producing multiple collections of work. The backdrop of my studio is a large expanse of forest, with a river close by and the Cascade Mountains in view on a clear day. The influence of living close to nature is also something that has worked its way into my design practice. I’m most keenly aware of it in my choice of surface decoration - patterns abstracted from nature, vertical lines that mimic bare trees or grids that reference orchard rows. Glaze surfaces are inspired by mossy fence posts or the speckled smooth matte finish of a river stone.

 

In 2016 I began a product design project with Anthropologie. I made prototypes for twenty-three products that were launched in Spring of 2018. This product design project allowed me to spend more time on research and development with a focus on clay from my local environment, the Chilliwack River.

 

The result of this innovation is a collection of simple utilitarian forms with the coordinates of where the clay was sourced as the only surface embellishment. Keeping the surfaces without decoration also makes the pieces about the material, highlights the variation and surface flaws that are naturally occurring in the clay.

 

I take every opportunity to work collaboratively with other artists, designers and members of my community, this human connection adds to the richness of my own practice, builds on the trajectory of local and contemporary and enables me to create more meaningful work.

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Thoughtful, storied objects for your permanent collection!