Artist Statement

Some of the most vivid memories I have from when I was a child are when my grandmother and I would sit in the front porch rocking chairs, watching the birds fly by. For me, birds signify a sense of mystery. They sit and observe the world around them, seeming wise in their silent watch.

My current work focuses on images that are reminiscent of childhood memories. The simplified bird forms evoke mysterious and sometimes somber feelings. The black figure is omnipresent, seemingly everywhere. The type of bird used in my imagery is irrelevant; I do not want the viewer to be concerned with identifying the exact species of bird, but rather focus on the mood of the piece the silhouette or drawing evokes.

The very nature of ceramics is the concept of permanence. Once fired, ceramic pieces will be around forever. By printing or drawing certain images onto the clay surface, I am striving to make my memories permanent. I choose to depict the bird as a silhouette or simple line drawing, which can be traced back to cut out shapes or shadow drawings I was familiar with as a child. The mood of the work is mysterious and inquisitive, offering the viewer time to reflect. My work has a great amount of personal, symbolic meaning. The simplified bird images and silhouette images are reminiscent of simpler times. The scenes depicted are a reflection of the memories I have about childhood relationships with family members; some are mysterious and light hearted while others have a more serious feel.

The bowl installation, entitled "Intersections" is an arrangement of 20 small thrown bowls of various sizes. The drawing is continuous with intersecting lines and images; this illustrates fleeting moments one experiences in life. A wing here, a claw there, hints at where the bird has been and perhaps where it is going. This piece in particular illustrates changes one goes through during the course of a lifetime.

It is my intention for my work to evoke a sense of the past, of memory, to try and trace the mystery of childhood experience back to a particular moment in time, elusive though it may be.