About

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I put my work in the category of mixed-media versus pigeonholing myself into just one category. I sculpt and form using clay that cures in the oven.  I currently work primarily with Cosclay, a flexible, resilient hybrid plastic/rubber clay in the Polymer category.   Cosclay is the perfect clay for my projects. I incorporate various materials such as wire, rhinestones, and a variety of surface treatments from powders to paints.  Each piece starts out as a wire and foil form that acts as a base for the sculpture.  I often will sketch out the creature and use that as my pattern for the armature.  I begin by working with slabs of clay that I form over the basic wire and foil form and then use a variety of hand building techniques carried over from my ceramic days. I will work a bit and bake, then add more, then bake again.  This process continues until the entire sculpture is finished.  For some pieces I will add texture to the clay by using a variety of stamps that are pressed into the raw clay.  Some pieces receive their color through powdered pastels, others get their color from the clay, and other pieces get color from paints.  It's a fun process to watch the new creatures emerge.

Inspiration comes to me in bursts of "lightning."  Short Answer is Nature. I could be walking around the local zoo and BAM, inspiration.  Or, looking out our back patio at grazing birds and cows, and BAM, inspiration.  Or a quick trip through Facebook, Instagram, or the stockpile of photos that I've taken, and  BAM inspiration.  Any non-human creature is up for grabs!  

Sometimes inspiration comes from others in the form of a special request.  Sometimes those requests are for something I've never made before.  When that happens I go to work researching the animal.  Scouring the internet, magazines, photographs and books and eventually I come up with a plan.  Those are the exciting projects.  When I don't know what to expect.  Often scary, being outside of my comfort zone, but definitely worth the extra effort.

In my adult life, I’ve had a few different careers, all of which were in a management capacity.  None were related to my Bachelor in Fine Arts degree. Each one of those jobs had the same thing in common: art was in my life as a stabilizer, a way to keep me centered and, sometimes, a huge stress reliever. 

In 2002 I was able to make the transition to full-time artist.  I was a potter first and then had a slow transition to polymer clay starting in 2015.  I find comfort in making things; coming up with solutions; learning how to use new materials and adding new techniques to my arsenal. 

I have a few claims to fame:  

As a potter, three of my ceramic teapots are part of the prestigious Kamm Foundation Teapot Collection;

In 2009 I was a featured artist on the HGTV show That's Clever

Two of my polymer sculptures are part of the Marietta Museum of Art and Whimsy (Sarasota, FL);

And, during COVID lockdown in 2020, one of my polymer Flamingo sculptures was voted People's Choice at the annual Florida CraftArt Member's Show (St. Petersburg, FL).