Having built my private home studio in 2014, I have a new space in which to create that is free from distractions. Not that there is anything wrong with distractions! I enjoy working in my studio at Clayscapes Pottery and interacting with my colleagues and students too! Having both is ideal for me.

In the spirit of always pushing forward I spent a large amount of time this winter exploring alternative ways of creating surface and form. The quiet home studio was conducive to drawing more in sketchbooks and thinking through where I wanted my work to go next. Some of the changes were simple, others were time-consuming and complex.

The focused attention I can give to a piece has meant big changes to everything I am doing. For instance, I made industrial-style functional pieces that not only look like they are composed of many separate pieces, but actually are composed of many pieces. I cut up pots and then reassembled them for a more authentic look and feel.

The spring wood firing will include a broader color palette, layered slips, tabbed faux separations and less refinement of pieces that really should be rough and crunchy. The changes enlivened the pourers. I interpreted the industrial-style in a new series of goblets. A character in The Buckethead Story, Bunny Foo Foo, quickly became infamous in startling ways.