I was schooled at Manhattan's Hunter College and received my Master of Arts from SUNY Albany in 1987. Though I grew up in the greater New York City area, it was the quiet of the land and not the city, that captured my heart. My home was a modest brick house squeezed in among others along the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean, specifically, Rockaway Beach. My earliest memories are of sand, water and salt air; at night, as I gazed out from the front porch, I saw a shimmering black skyline, not that of Manhattan, but the vast expanse of the moonlit ocean.
Now, more than 20 years away from the shore, my early life of inhaling natures salty breath comes out in my work. I form soft earth into subtle polished vessels among the rolling hills of my rural studio. Instead of using glazes, in this Raku-alternative firing process I experiment with natural materials, polished porcelain and the random markings of fire upon earth, it is known as saggar firing. Like the unpredictability of waves chasing the shoreline, each saggar firing yields surprising results upon the surface of my pots, never are two alike.
I came to ceramics after working in broadcasting for 10 years. I studied at the Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy, New York and apprenticed with several experienced potters. I call my training self-taught, but this, of course, does not happen in a vacuum. My influences are varied, from my first teacher who encouraged me to continue, to my many mentors through the years.
This I know: I love unglazed work, simple and strong forms and a quiet meditative aesthetic. From there I expand and explore. In recent years I have come back to my long time love of carving from my early days where vessels were my canvas. Now I am headed straight for the wall where I stretch, pull, alter and carve my tile canvas, creating celebratory "Figurative Expressions" that dance across the room. My "Fire Paintings" have taken my well known saggar style onto a tile canvas, where the soft blushes of fire's random marks undulate across the surface of these dynamic landscapes.
AWARDS AND HONORS
2010: Naperville Women's Club Award. Naperville, IL
2010: First Place, Ceramics. Fountain Square Art Festival, Evanston, IL
2010: Award of Merit. Boston Mills Art Festival, OH
2010: First Place, Ceramics. Wells Street Art Festival, Chicago, IL
2010: Award of Distinction. Under the Oaks, Vero Beach, FL
2010: Ceramic Award of Excellence. Tarpon Springs, FL.
2009: Best in Show. Boston Mills Art Festival, #1, OH
2009: Award of Excellence. Cedar Key Art Festival
2009: First Place, Ceramics. Miami Festival of the Arts
2008: Award of Merit, Ceramics. CraftArt 2008, Florida
2008: Third Place, Ceramics. Winterpark Art Festival, Florida
2008: 500 Tiles - Artist Submission. Lark Publishing, 2008
2008: Independent Artist Grant. New York State Foundation for the Arts
2007: SOS Grant International Exhibition, Thailand. NYS Council on the Arts.
2007: Best in Show. Longboat Key Fine Art Festival. Longboat Key, Florida
2007: Third Place, Ceramics. Under the Oaks, Vero Beach, Florida
2007: Patrons Choice Award. Deland Museum Art Festival, Florida
2006: Award of Excellence, Ceramics. Beaux Arts Festival, Florida
2005: First Place, Ceramics. Glastonbury Art Show, CT
2005: Judges Choice. New Smyrna Beach, FL
2005: Juror's Choice. WMHT Public Television Art Auction, New York
2005: Judges Choice. Berkshire Art Festival, MA
2005: Honorable Mention. 57th Street Art Fair, IL
2005: Patron's Choice Award. New Smyrna Beach, FL
2004: First Place, Ceramics. Glastonbury Art Show, CT
2004: Juror's Choice. WMHT Public Television Art Auction, New York
2003: Judges Choice. Berkshire Art Festival, MA
2003: Second Place, Ceramics. Bruce Museum Craft Festival, CT
2003: Juror's Choice. WMHT Public Television Art Auction, New York
