I am primarily a hand builder, working in low-fire earthenware. I am very interested in architecture and think of my pieces as places to be. As I build, I try to provide a different experience from every angle so that having seen a work from one side doesn’t mean you’ve seen it all: you never know what the other side might have to offer.
I fire to cone 04 in an electric kiln; pieces always go through two firings and sometimes three. There are times when I take another run at a piece after it’s been glaze fired, adding gouache, colored pencil, oil stick, or pastels. I usually work in series, and often have several series going at once, some exploring a construction question, some playing with a traditional ceramic form and variations on that theme.
When I start a piece by rolling out a slab, I have a rough idea of where I’m going, but am not always sure how I’m going to get there. If I’m building a box, the walls go up first. I attach the walls as firmly and securely as possible, scoring the connecting edges, adding a little water or slip, and then pushing them firmly together. Next comes the floor (and then any feet that will give the box a little extra lift), and finally the lid.
In order for the lid to fit snugly, I have to add pieces to the underside that will keep it in place. Then the handle is attached, and the piece dries slowly before the first (bisque) firing. This firing makes the piece more absorbent and less fragile — ready for painting and glazing. I use underglazes, stains, and glaze, and fire once again.