Biography
It was finding clay in high school during the late 90's that started me on my career as a maker. I grew up in Aurora, IL attending the nearby North Central College for my undergraduate education. There I studied computer science with an intention to get a job programming computer graphics but realizing I yearned for a more tactile medium to express my need to create. I went to my advisor and rearranged my final two years of school to graduate with a double major in computer science and studio art in 2005. It was in my ceramics classes where I began to meet clay artists and learn their stories. I was lured into the life of clay by their stories and accepted a position as artist-in-residence at Terra Incognito in Oak Park, IL in 2006.
I spent three years at Terra managing the operations of the clay studio and began to teach wheel throwing classes. I met many visiting artists there who inspired and influenced me on the way I work in clay. From Terra I went on to graduate school at Marywood University in Scranton, PA. During my time in graduate school I became a member of the local community of wood fire potters and was once again lured deeper into the world of clay.
In 2011 I graduated from the MFA program with a concentration in clay and moved back to Aurora with intentions of opening my own home studio. After a year of home renovation, the studio was operational and I began participating in local Art fairs. I also began teaching at the College of Dupage where I teach ceramics and wood firing as well as Terra Incognito. In the summer of 2019 I moved to Villa Park and built a new studio basement. In the Fall of 2019 I built a new wood kiln at the College of DuPage where I continue to teach.
Statement
To make my work I must approach it with the learned skill from years of practice, a clear sense of the finished aesthetic but a willingness to intuit new avenues along the way. The years of continual practice have built up a muscle memory that allows for an instinctive making process. This helps me find my way to a place between the unconscious craftsperson and the conscious artist.
I strive to create work that feels as if it has always existed and was merely pulled down from the either and presented. The process is a delicate balance as the aesthetic intentions can be both a road map and road block simultaneously. My experiences and desires are the source for these intentions. How one chooses to interpret reality and respond to it. How we desire to achieve our dreams and aspirations. The exploration for greater meaning and connection amongst the noise.
These threads run through my mind just as the clay runs through my fingers. The craft of shaping the clay for everyday use is also an important factor as I create the work. The way the handle feels, how the rim feels upon your lips or the way my work will fit in your home. How the rough exterior shields the smooth interior and what it contains. The work is meant to be used and loved. To have a full life.
Gallery Exhibition List
Classes
I teach ceramics classes at the College of DuPage and Waubonsee Community College. I am also available to teach workshops about how I make my pottery. Contact me for more information about the classes or a workshop.
Train style wood fire kiln at the College of DuPage.