| Artist Biography | |||||||||||||||||
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The first time I worked specifically with leaves was one early fall morning while attending the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. After pulling an all-nighter in the studio, I emerged from the clay studio to find one of my printmaking friends just about to wrap up the dawn also. After large amounts of coffee throughout the night and still humming one of the oldies that replayed on the radio station we came to the conclusion that it was such a beautiful dawn, that a walk was in order. What’s another hour? We embarked on our journey as the sky was just beginning to lighten and the fog to dissipate. Being awake for that long there comes a point when it seems as if you are in a zone. We have all been there, the point just beyond, “I’m laughing and I am not quite sure why.” Leaves were picked up and studied with fascination. There was one, another and then another. Before we knew it we had armfuls of leaves. So enthralled by the leaves we didn’t even notice that we had been on a 2 hour walk. With my newfound leaves, I rolled out a piece of clay and began my journey. I formed my first leaf bowl in a steel wok that was a hand me down from my mother. The first leaf bowls were created were a bit on the heavy side. I dabbled with the leaves as long as I could to keep them alive and use them. This leaf phase was brief. At that time my focus was on my ceramic tree and root study. I do not believe that I imprinted another leaf for four years. I have always created organic tree and plant like forms, but in 2004, I began my education in working with leaves and other types of plants. This time, once I started, I did not stop. Some leaves are chosen because of size, unique shape, and large veins or just because something about the leaf intrigues me. I continuously try and work with thinner clay and larger leaves, pushing the constraints of the clay, the leaf, myself, and, of course, my kiln. When glazing I like to use rich colors that help accentuate the smallest veins and details of the leaf. Glazes are often layered to achieve multiple colors on one piece. There are a few glazes that I like to use that are not food safe. However, the majority of the glazes are food safe because I like to blur the line of functional vs. decorative. My pieces can stand alone or hold a salad. The choice is purely up to the owner. |
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