I come from a family of skilled artisans. Inspired by animals, nature, easily mesmerized by the intricate details of everyday ordinary things. I’ve always been an observer of that which surrounds me. Seeing pictures in the patterns of shadows, rocks, and grains of wood. I find pleasure in minute details that bring uniqueness to what may otherwise appear as an average or ordinary. Biophilia ( Love of Nature ) that is what inspires me. I believe that all humans share a bond with nature, some are more attune to this than others. My work is an attempt to share that beauty and connection I find in nature with others.
Initially my artistic journey started by drawing in pencil and charcoal. My mother and grandfather were both exceptional artists. Naturally having an eye for it, I wished to follow in their footsteps. I quickly realized it was not the same easy flowing process for me as it was for them. This lead me to explore other mediums as I was constantly pursuing a creative outlet.
As a teen I enrolled in woodshop and metal working in school. I thoroughly enjoyed woodworking and was quite adept at it. However at age sixteen I was involved in an accident that left me with extensive and life altering injurys. As a result I lost my sense of identity. This was a dormant period of my artistic expression.
The pursuit of travel changed my artistic creativity. Moving across the country after marrying my husband enabled me to see things in a different perspective. Returning to woodworking in 2004, I delighted in all aspects of woodworking, from the design composition, to hand carving, inlay work and finishing. My husband and I were quite successful as Owners of our own handmade furniture business. Our furniture was in demand by Interior Designers thoughout The Southern United States. Summer house Interiors, Highlands Furniture, High Country Furniture, Handmade in America, and many more. We also held Exibitions in numerous Art Gallerys. e.g. ( Grovewood Gallery Asheville NC ) ( Twigs and Leaves Gallery Waynesville NC ) ( Wickwire Fine Art )
In NC I lived thirty minutes outside of Cherokee, which enabled me exposure to my mothers indigenous heritage. I’d had limited knowledge of this aspect of my lineage, aside from the information passed down to me from my grandmother, as it was from her paternal branch that my Cherokee ancestry was passed down. It was cathartic, The move forced me out of my comfort zone. This impacted my art in intriguing ways, I began working with more rustic tools such as old draw knives and hand held planers. I enjoyed allowing the rustic beauty of the wood to accentuate the piece. Incorporating natural elements into my art, I would hike in the woods, gathering leaves that intrigued me, then tracing them onto pieces of wood I felt best suited them, cutting them out, setting them in as leaf inlays. After six years of living in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina, my husband and I both having portable careers outside of the business, decided to move to Canada. We hadn’t realized that it would be too laborious to reestablish our personal business in Canada.
This did not stop me from pursuing additional ways of expressing my artistic creativity. I took up painting and photography. I am Anishinaabe/Ojibwe Mètis on my fathers side of the family, my ancestors descend from The Pembina band of Red Bear Chippewa. As such I respect and feel very called to represent the beauty and value and spirit of all nature in my art. Everything in nature is interconnected. Living first in the Alberta prairies, the Northern lights and exposure to animals such as moose, lynx, bear, geese and deer were inspirational for me. Making the move from Alberta to Coastal BC was transformative. In 2015 I joined the Powell River Fine Arts Association. This was my first exposure to working with clay, it was clear right away that I had an aptitude and it quickly became my passion. I was surrounded by other exceptional artists whom I admired. These same artists encouraged me to pursue a career in ceramics. I have done so and never looked back!
I started out on the wheel, dabbled in slab building, though I quickly began creating hand built sculptures. The clay bodies I work with are Porcelain and Stoneware. Often building solid pieces that are later hollowed out, sometimes cut into sections and then reassembled prior to firing. Utilizing the skillsets of carving, inlay, and finishing I acquired whilst woodworking. The pieces are demanding and tedious as I like to get as much intricate detail and depth into each work as possible. The finishing technique is just as involved, paying great attention to detail, I enjoy burnishing along with adding additional texture work to the surface via carving as well as using handmade rollers created by materials I’ve found in nature. Sometimes sculpting elaborate stamps to add exquisite detail to a piece. I appreciate the natural beauty of unfinished clay in addition to using stains, oxides, underglazes and glazes in my finished works.
I’m never quite sure if I chose this Medium or it chose me. Working the clay enables me to feel centered. Once I get into the process, the distractions of the world lose their grip on me, I become completely focused on shaping the clay. Feeling more at peace and connected to the natural world during this time than any other. Breathing in the earthy smell, my body relaxes while holding the clay and feeling its energy. I’m partial to allowing the clay to show me the way it naturally seeks to go. Working with the clay in this manner feels like I allow the life within the clay to lead me to find and express the perfect image waiting to be brought to life. My artistic soul is drawn to this medium, it captivates me. I love natural landscapes, deep forests, coastlines, rugged mountains, rolling hills, and eroded coastal cliffs. I’m fascinated by the multitude of flora and fauna that inhabit the earth alongside us. Clay itself is extracted from and surrounded by this very environment. I crave as an artist to find that perfect quiet moment during my creative process. Allowing the clay to silently speak to me, instructing the shaping process. Bringing the Dust to Life in a way that captures its innermost essence, then sharing that form with others. To share the beauty hidden within.