I consider myself both a clay sculptor and functional potter, often sliding between the two on a daily basis. Patience and timing play a big part in clay work – something stiffens up to accept a handle or spout while something else requires immediate attention. The mugs seen here were created using a 7-step process including burnishing the outside of the cup while the clay is leather hard. This ancient technique is a bit like polishing, using a smooth stone to compress the clay to show off not only the deep rich color of the clay but also its silkiness.
The Rosettes (both wall and table) came about in early explorations with this clay body, by testing the strength, pliability, and construction capabilities of the material. How far could I take it? What would the clay allow in terms of thinness, plasticity, and structural strength? The use of the spiral – the path of a point in a plane moving around a central point while continuously receding from or approaching it – began to remind me of flower shapes. These then became petals that most resembled that of the genus Rosaceae or Rose. The small bowls with multi-lipped edges containing gold leaf are a natural growth of that. Gold leaf creates a bright splash in contrast to the deepness of the brown.
