This is an attempt I made at writing an artist's statement... I havent quite grasped the concept of what should be in an artist statement, it seems like there should be something more... Ill get there eventually. Heres a picture of a dog in progress too.
There is great joy in working with clay, it is a legendary material from which people say god created humans, it can be heavy and utilitarian or refined and delicate, it is captivating to work with for all ages. I work with clay because it is versatile and somewhat unpredictable. There are many stages of clay from its wet muddy sloppy form, through leather hard, bone dry, bisque ware, to fully vitrified. Each of these stages has a variety of potential for spontaneity and refinement. The time required to move through the stages of clay gives space for the subject to develop, and the chemistry and atmosphere derive their own influence on the piece, so that ultimately it is not only my imagination working on the material. I let my process inform my subject and explore their forms and content as I work. My pieces are my exploration of the times reflected in clay, exposed to an atmosphere that can ultimately make or destroy the piece, exploding or evaporating, or producing the most beautiful effects.