"My artwork and emotions are best expressed in clay. Clay is a fundamental material that allows me to articulate a relationship between surface and form. These qualities of clay allow me to use its malleability to create three-dimensional sculptures that show the process and my personal involvement with the piece. In the creation of art, I use the marks of the hand and textural elements to create harmony within the forms. These forms become my canvases for added surface processes. I love the process and transformation that occurs in nature. I feel this growth and cultivation echoes life’s experiences and that I relate to. I want my viewer to relate to my work in an emotional way: through either the relationships of the forms, the representation of colors, or just the formal elements and aesthetics of the pieces." ABOUTKristin Kowalski holds an M.A. from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana and a B.F.A. from The Columbus College of Art and Design. She currently lives in Toledo, Ohio with her husband and son. Kowalski has been a fine art instructor at Maumee Valley Country Day School since 2012. She is a ceramic artist deriving inspiration from natural environments and personal relationships. Her sculptures are hand-built and low-fired. She uses multiple layers of glazes and stains to create texture and depth in color. Her artworks have been exhibited in a variety of venues nationally. Kirstin’s work has been inspired her personal growth and development. She wants to create a feeling of intimacy between the interactions of the abstracted forms. Those experiences lead to a floral or blossom element that represents the peak of the experience. She wants her work to be very sensual, playful, and slightly dark and evokes these feelings with the combination of form, color, and surface texture. The floral elements in Kristin’s work have been inspired by her own garden.