Ceramics
Artist Statement
Sourcing my clay from the ground, I excavate meaning within the material as a metaphor of my deep connectivity to home. The Appalachian Mountain landscape bears a myriad of native clay veins that echo the historical, cultural, and geological conditions of the region. Processing clay bodies provides a personalized palette of natural and local materials that represents my values. Identifying as a place-based person, I embrace my environment and reflect it in my work. As I relocate and my surroundings change, so does my process, materials, and artwork. I practice place-based making because it engages me with the natural, physical and narrative resources of my home. Highlighting the natural properties of local materials offers an informed experience for both maker and viewer. It is within the narrative of the material and the process of making that my expression of place and identity unfolds.
