"I have always been attracted to the process of sculpting clay; the tactile give and take, the immediate response of the material…. malleable, spontaneous and filled with infinite possibility. Clay grounds me yet allows my ideas to take flight. It frees me in a way no other medium can. I am greatly influenced by my longstanding love of and curiosity about the natural world. I believe our awareness and respect for our connection to the earth is imperative to our emotional and physical well-being. My latest work incorporates human and animal forms in dream-like figurative pieces that speak to a visceral need and desire that I believe burns in all of us to reclaim this connection. I work intuitively, allowing the sculpture to develop organically from clay coils and slabs of clay. I also work quickly and purposefully leave fingermarks to convey gestural spontaneity. I will often apply multiple layers of colors and treatments, and approach surface finish in a painterly fashion. Found objects may be incorporated to accent, embellish or define the work. Each piece has its own evolution and story which guides its ultimate form and finish."