My work is a true reflection of my life and of my communion with Jesus Christ. A daily relationship with the clay opens my eyes to see myself the way God sees me. As I throw the clay on the wheel, I get a deeper understanding of how God works in my life and why. Creating pieces that identify themselves with an individual viewer is my passion. Each piece, whether it stands alone or in a set, has to be unique. Even if the forms are alike, something about them will be different. The most beautiful aspect about clay, which fascinates me, is that you cannot exactly duplicate the piece. Just like no two lives are alike, no two clay pots are alike. If the difference in detail between them cannot be seen by the naked eye, the potter and the creator know what makes them unique.
When I sit at the wheel, my main focus is to become one with the clay. As it spins in my hands, I take time to feel the energy that is in it, before I even decide what form it should take. Once I have shaped the form, I listen carefully for inspiration. Whether I give it a smooth surface or put texture in it, that choice is critical to my work. When I put texture on a piece, I prefer to do it by hand, because it allows me to create both consistent and random patterns. Whether the piece is glazed or left raw, what really brings out the work is the technique I might choose to use. However, no matter if the piece is for decoration only or for everyday use, my greatest challenge is transferring the motion of the wheel on to the piece in a way that it is reflected on the finished work.
As an artist and as a Christian child of God I continue to work with clay and I discover new challenges that cause me to reflect on myself. My quest shall always be to look for ways to improve my work, and with it, my life and perhaps, the lives of others.
