Meet the Artist

In the beginning...

I fell in love with pottery during my first college ceramics class in the spring of 1993, but the desire to "play in the mud" must have exisited since childhood. There are pictures of me as a little girl covered from head to toe with mud after enjoying an afternoon of mud sliding on the mound of dirt in my backyard.

I graduated with a BA in studio art in 1996, and began taking the first small steps toward becoming a working artist. I created my first Celtic works in 1999 and have since focused my work on this unique style.

Artist Statement

I create mostly one-of-a-kind, functional pottery. I use interlacing knotwork and spiral patterns as a decorative element to my wheel-thrown porcelain vessels. The choice to make decorative, functional pottery is a reflection of my faith that God can shape us into beautiful and useful people.

Interlacing knotwork and spiral patterns are seen throughout many parts of the world and are common among many different cultures. Most of what we think of today as "Celtic" knotwork, is really an amalgamation of designs from various cultures created by medieval monks while illuminating manuscripts. We don't really know what the original designs may have meant, but today interlacing knotwork has come to symbolize the interconnectedness of life. This is one of the reasons why I am attracted to using these designs in my work. For me, the designs connect us to our past and to other cultures.

Education

Exhibitions

Professional Affiliations

There are numerous organizations for artists and potters that work toward promoting the arts. The following are organizations of which I am currently or have previously been a member. The years of my membership are in parenthesis.

• Potters Council (2001 - Present)
• CIVA - Christians in the Visual Arts (1998 - 2005)
• MCC - Minnesota Crafts Council (1999 - 2004)
• ACC - American Craft Council (2001 - 2004)
• NEMAA - Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (2002)