Are you an artist, arts organization or venue?

artist

What town do you live in?

Orange

In which disciplines do you work or exhibit?

Clay, Sculpture

Artist Statement/Bio

My work is influenced by my life and the life of my family and friends, myths, legends and, always, the beauty and mystery of the natural world.
Over the last two decades, I have been exploring ways of working with clay: throwing and altering, handbuilding with slabs, pinch and coil. Each technique calls for finishing in a different way: smoke-firing, low fire glazing, mid-range (cone 6) glazing and wood-firing.
Most recently, I have been concentrating on wood-firing, seduced by the river of fire that runs through the kiln from the firebox, around the pots in the firing chamber and up the chimney, melting ash on the nearly white hot clay. I work with a team of potters, stoking the flames for 40 hours.
Going forward, I am developing glazes using locally sourced natural materials. A group of us are planning to build a cooperative wood-fired kiln in Orange that can be used to teach the process to future generations. Those of us who work with our hands are keeping knowledge alive that will be needed in the future and that would otherwise be lost.

Describe your organization or gallery

Self-employed potter. Co-founder North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival. ClaySpace organizer at LaunchSpace-Orange.com, a new community maker-space in Orange, MA.