I have been involved in pottery for nearly 8 years now. I've always enjoyed learning new things, but the idea of actually doing pottery myself never entered my mind until I saw a special exhibit of Georgia potters at the Atlanta History Center. A large part of the exhibit was devoted to the Meaders family of North Georgia, and I watched a short video about them - and was fascinated from that point on.

From there, it was a matter of finding a pottery class and digging in. I had the great fortune of finding an incredibly talented instructor in Elisabeth Haskell at the Art Place in Cobb County. She taught me for a number of years until I finally was ready to go it alone. I still speak to her often and value her input greatly.

..and regarding the Meaders pottery - I was able to bring that full circle recently when I purchased a bean pot by Lanier Meaders (one of the subjects in the film I saw), and give it a place of honor in my collection...

Most of my work is mid-range (cone 6) stoneware fired in an electric kiln. I also enjoy pit-firing and raku firing on occasion for the unpredictability of the results. I find that the most interesting pieces are those that you have the least control over...

You will see several pieces that are carved. As I became more involved in pottery, I learned a great deal about "regional" pottery styles, and one that caught my interest was black pueblo pottery from New Mexico. There are several distinct styles in the pueblos, but I was most drawn to the San Ildefonso and Santa Clara pueblo pottery. These feature thick hand-built burnished pots that are carved - sometimes simply, but often with elaborate tableaus and patterns. The rough firing process and "smothering" of the pots in horse manure give them their distinctive black hue. Although I don't pretend to follow their process, I do enjoy taking inspiration from those designs and creating my own carved pots. It is a lot of work, but richly rewarding when you see the finished product.