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Ceramics is an art of creating something meaningful and personally valuable out of a natural and sometimes indigenous substance. The creation of a ceramic object is very personal, because one’s hands are the most important tools. My hands are large and bulky with a variety of life scars. They are the hands of a competitive athlete, an earnest musician, a determined printmaker, a resourceful technician, a scholar, an instructor, an artist and a Texan. I recall vividly the first time they made contact with a body of freshly wedged clay. I experienced a distinct familiarity as the material urged me to challenge its limitations. It was not long before I realized the limits would be of my own determination. The archaic tradition of ceramics transcends all modern advancements of our age. It is triumphant in its modesty, as generation after generation of artists embrace the infinite breadth of this medium.
I began my journey in clay with roads paved with predictable symmetry and consistent smoothness of a dilettante taming his medium. A dramatic transition occurred when my work began to merge these familiar traditional forms with distorted alterations to represent the integral relationship of human conception and nature. I produce sculptural vessels that express the importance of individual human creation over mass globalization.
I am continually expanding my knowledge of firing. My strengths in material science, physics, and calculus found significant functions within this discipline. How a piece is touched by fire seals its fate. The life of the glaze is transformed irrevocably. Traditional Japanese wood firing techniques are ideal because an emotional as well as physical toil is required. The artist is committed to the process, persevering through days of hardship, driven by his/her faith in the outcome. It is the ultimate reciprocation of the earth’s sacrifice; however it is often an impossible option for many artists who must create within time and space limitations. I opt for alternative kilns and firing techniques that utilize salvaged materials and recycled fuels. The dynamic synergy of the impure fuels encourages the distinctive characteristics imparted by the fire.
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