I enjoy turning a lump of mud into a useful, interesting, or beautiful ceramic object.

I usually start my process by sketching the form, and trying to imagine the finished product in as much detail as possible. Imagining the exact shape, size, function, color and surface. The more clarity I have, the more pleased I tend to be with the finished piece.

 I like to think about clay on a microscopic level, to consider the geological activities occurring within the earth, and the chemical reactions that can be emulated in a kiln. I like to explore processes that help me gain a deeper understanding of the materials I use, their origins and properties.

Clay and glazes are composed primarily of rocks and minerals that have been crushed to a powder, either by millions of years within the earths crust, or by manmade mechanisms.

The mineral powders of specific types and ratios are mixed with water to form malleable clay, slip and glaze slurries. In the heat of the kiln these minerals will melt into a type of glass, in a process called vitrification. If the glaze is of a specific chemical composition, and is cooled slowly enough, minerals can begin to crystallise within the thin layer of glaze, in a process called devitrification. In this way I have produced a wide variety of unique glazes in an extensive array of colors, glazes that devitrify into a variety of crystal species.

I find the intricacy and organic nature of these glazes endlessly captivating. Although they only coat the surface, they allude to the action of magma and the transformation of the minerals which compose all ceramic objects.