Pottery speaks on a deep level. It’s beyond words, something more instinctual. It’s familiarity — a sense of home. That feeling is what I’m seeking in my work. I believe that a pot should feel right above all else. This leads to somewhat simple shapes and surfaces. I find myself finishing more and more of my pots with a thin, subtle glaze. More than technical tricks, I try to distill my pots down to the point that they tell the truth.
April, 2019
I was born on the first day of spring.
Growing up in Niles, Michigan meant lots of fort building, ball playing, bike riding, and swimming. High school was a blur of highways and loading gear in and out of the trailer in the middle of the night after VFW Hall hardcore shows all around the country. College was when I discovered clay and the potter's wheel (thank you, Paul). After graduating from Western Michigan University with a ceramics BFA, I moved farther north to Manistee, Michigan and started Daybreak Gallery & Studio. For almost 5 years, I made pots every day at Daybreak. I got to know the people walking by on the sidewalk, and every once in a while one of them would wander in and take something home with them. I became a real live potter in Manistee. It was the first time I had to do everything for myself, and the pots really came a long way in those years. Since spring 2018, I've been in Traverse City getting started in a new direction toward more studio time with less time spent selling. It's a new seasonal rhythm, but one that suits me just fine.