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own work. I own work. I love love hand-dyed tex- hand-dyed tex- tiles and the colors that happen tiles and the colors that happen when the dyes meet and flow. I when the dyes meet and flow. I love it when I get some of those love it when I get some of those reactions with my glazes. And I reactions with my glazes. And I love ceramic rattles. If an object is love ceramic rattles. If an object is going to be made with a hollow going to be made with a hollow space inside, why shouldn't it be space inside, why shouldn't it be a rattle? a rattle? What kind of creative patterns, What kind of creative patterns, routines, and rituals do you routines, and rituals do you have? have? I am a researcher and planner. I am a researcher and planner. This is partially my academic This is partially my academic training, but also my basic per- training, but also my basic per- sonality. I think about a concept sonality. I think about a concept and sketch and think some more. and sketch and think some more. I usually can make what I imag- I usually can make what I imag- ined, BUT I also work until the ined, BUT I also work until the concept feels "done" to me. That concept feels "done" to me. That might be three related items or might be three related items or thirty, but I cannot move on until thirty, but I cannot move on until I have worked the idea out of my I have worked the idea out of my system. system. I also don't like to leave any of I also don't like to leave any of the clay I've cut off for the day the clay I've cut off for the day unfinished. Some of my smaller unfinished. Some of my smaller items are things that were made items are things that were made from the "extra" end-of-day clay. from the "extra" end-of-day clay. Some of my favorite items from Some of my favorite items from my own work happen when I find my own work happen when I find myself working in a more exper- myself working in a more exper- imental fashion. Those moments imental fashion. Those moments of spontaneity – when I work with of spontaneity – when I work with less conscious thought - are mag- less conscious thought - are mag- ical and impossible to plan. ical and impossible to plan. I find that having too much free I find that having too much free time stifles my work. For some time stifles my work. For some reason I find it hard to get started reason I find it hard to get started when I don't feel some type of when I don't feel some type of time constraint. Overall it is a bit time constraint. Overall it is a bit of a balancing act; I must have of a balancing act; I must have enough time to get work done, enough time to get work done, but not too much time. but not too much time. What's your favorite thing What's your favorite thing you've ever created? you've ever created? I'm a mom, and obviously, I think I'm a mom, and obviously, I think my daughter is pretty amazing… my daughter is pretty amazing… but artistically two things came but artistically two things came to mind when I read the question to mind when I read the question and both were made when I was and both were made when I was about 12. One, a quilted peacock about 12. One, a quilted peacock textile piece, and two, a ceram- textile piece, and two, a ceram- ic basket of mushrooms made ic basket of mushrooms made during a workshop with Barbara during a workshop with Barbara Hutto. I have the peacock piece Hutto. I have the peacock piece in my studio, and my sister has in my studio, and my sister has the mushroom basket in her fam- the mushroom basket in her fam- ily room. I certainly don't think ily room. I certainly don't think they are my "best" work, but at they are my "best" work, but at the time they made me feel I'd the time they made me feel I'd achieved some type of artistic achieved some type of artistic proficiency. I find neither of them proficiency. I find neither of them embarrassing as an adult. embarrassing as an adult. What are you trying to commu- What are you trying to commu- nicate with your art? nicate with your art? I make lots of different stuff- I make lots of different stuff- some is whimsical, some is mini- some is whimsical, some is mini- mal, and some is symbolic. There mal, and some is symbolic. There isn't a single message in my isn't a single message in my work, but I hope that all my work work, but I hope that all my work comes across as thoughtfully/ comes across as thoughtfully/ carefully made. carefully made. A good bit of my work is func- A good bit of my work is func- tional, planters and vases mainly, tional, planters and vases mainly, but also some cups and plates. but also some cups and plates. I don't throw, so the pieces are I don't throw, so the pieces are slabbed, pinched, or coil built. slabbed, pinched, or coil built. They aren't perfect. I see that as They aren't perfect. I see that as a feature rather than a bug. The a feature rather than a bug. The pieces do their ordained task as pieces do their ordained task as well as a mass-produced equiv- well as a mass-produced equiv- alent, but they also have some- alent, but they also have some- thing extra…a uniqueness or thing extra…a uniqueness or quirkiness. quirkiness. Which creative medium would Which creative medium would you love to pursue, but haven't you love to pursue, but haven't yet? yet? I have worked in warm glass I have worked in warm glass (kiln-formed glass), but not hot (kiln-formed glass), but not hot glass. I've always found it fasci- glass. I've always found it fasci- nating and beautiful, and I wish nating and beautiful, and I wish that I could do it. I know myself that I could do it. I know myself well enough well enough not not to try because I to try because I am massively heat intolerant and am massively heat intolerant and clumsy. I'd burn my feet off or clumsy. I'd burn my feet off or catch something on fire. There catch something on fire. There are some pottery techniques, are some pottery techniques, like Raku, that I love but don't like Raku, that I love but don't do because of my heat/clumsi- do because of my heat/clumsi- ness limitations. ness limitations. What's the best advice you What's the best advice you ever had about how to be ever had about how to be more creative? more creative? In college, we were encouraged In college, we were encouraged to sketch and to keep drawing to sketch and to keep drawing every day – without judging every day – without judging the work too much. In grad- the work too much. In grad- uate school, we were told to uate school, we were told to research, plan, relax (and have a research, plan, relax (and have a glass of wine), and then draw. glass of wine), and then draw. My synthesized version of those My synthesized version of those concepts has become: Just concepts has become: Just make something. Keep work- make something. Keep work- ing. Plan and sketch, and then ing. Plan and sketch, and then see what happens. Don't be see what happens. Don't be afraid of making something that afraid of making something that doesn't work. If it doesn't work, doesn't work. If it doesn't work, you learned what not to do next you learned what not to do next time. time. Who is your favorite artist, and Who is your favorite artist, and what draws you to them? what draws you to them? The answer to this question The answer to this question changes constantly. At present I changes constantly. At present I am really enjoying ceramic work am really enjoying ceramic work with a lot of graphical impact. with a lot of graphical impact. Kathy King works in dramatic Kathy King works in dramatic black and white sgraffito. I love black and white sgraffito. I love her use of strong contrast, but her use of strong contrast, but also the humor that is often in also the humor that is often in her work. Chandra DeBuse's her work. Chandra DeBuse's work is very illustration-based, work is very illustration-based, but she also plays around with but she also plays around with her forms. Unexpected details her forms. Unexpected details and a very painterly approach and a very painterly approach to glazing are keystones of her to glazing are keystones of her pieces. I've also been looking pieces. I've also been looking a lot at Chris Campbell's work a lot at Chris Campbell's work with colored porcelain because with colored porcelain because I've been taking her vid- I've been taking her vid- eo-based class. I wanted to add eo-based class. I wanted to add colored stoneware clay into my colored stoneware clay into my jewelry and functional pieces, jewelry and functional pieces, and she is one of the experts in and she is one of the experts in the field. the field.