MY STORY & PHILOSOPHY
I am a North Carolina native that grew up on my family’s farm in Efland, NC. I spent my childhood summers working on the farm which involved tasks such as picking vegetables, strawberries, and cut flowers and also selling them at various local markets. I graduated with a degree in Studio Art at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and a minor in Art History in 2012. My love of clay evolved from taking a few ceramics courses during college. After graduating, I worked as a wedding floral designer in Wilmington, NC, from 2012 to 2017.
To follow my passion for clay, I began taking classes at a local community arts center, Orange St. Pottery in Wilmington, NC and also joined the local pottery guild. I decided I wanted to pursue my passion further and did a year-long wood firing ceramics residency at Cub Creek Foundation under Director John Jessiman, in Appomattox ,Va. during 2018. My time there was a catalyst for a deepened appreciation of pottery and furthering my exploration in clay. In the spring of 2019, I participated in the working artist program at Longwood University in Farmville, Va. During the summer of 2019, I worked as a studio assistant at a craft school, Sugar Maples in Maplecrest, NY. I worked as a studio assistant for potter, Silvie Granatelli from fall of 2019-2021 in Floyd, VA. During this I started developing and marketing my own wares at craft fairs and other shows. I worked at Floyd Center for the Arts as Pottery Studio Manager from November 2021- May 2022. From June to September 2022, I worked as a pottery studio assistant at Peters Valley School of Craft in Sandyston, NJ. In October of 2022, I began a new position with Ben Owen Pottery in Seagrove, NC as studio assistant & retail manager.
I enjoy the soft buttery feel of clay which reminds me of the soft fabric of worn cloth of a quilt. I have been working with my hands my whole life and enjoy the tactile nature of this medium. I love a process that challenges me to learn something new every day. My forms are inspired by function. My designs and patterns are inspired by the beauty of nature and historical patterns and objects. I aim to emphasize texture and pattern through my use of glazes. My glaze palette is inspired by the impressionist painting movement and by fashion. I want my pots to be used for everyday function-but also elevated for special occasions. I gain inspiration from historical pottery from Japan, China, and Korea, prints of the art nouveau movement, quilts, fabric patterns, the paintings of Degas, and English China Ware of the 1900’s.