ARTIST STATEMENT

 

I love graphic images and vibrant color, and I am particularly inspired by body art / tattoos, in particular, Japanese Tattoo style.  I love the rich symbolism and meaning behind the images. The composition boldly fills the available space, with foreground and background detail that provide depth, high contrast and linework.

I have painted using other mediums, such as acrylic and watercolor, but found my passion for painting with underglazes on the ceramics I create.

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My process:  I first create the vessel (primarily) on the pottery wheel.  I trim the piece when they achieve a leather hard consistency. Then after the piece dries they go through the first firing called a bisque fire.   Then I paint with underglazes on the bisqued ceramics. I then apply a clear coat of glaze and do the final firing in the kiln.  My porcelain hand painted work is typically fired to cone 8 which is considered a high fire temperature.

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Creating a functional piece or sculpted piece from a ball of clay is so satisfying, and then to design and showcase my designs on the surfaces brings me joy. I use Porcelain for my hand painted canvases, and the pieces I designed showcase my artwork.  When I have a backlog of bisque pieces to hand paint, I really enjoy the freedom to explore other clay bodies, explore various shapes and experiment with glaze combinations. I have found my voice.

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