I am a ceramic artist/potter, building functionally specific vessels from slabs. Growing up in a small town inspired me to find ways to express my individuality. I did this through the way I fashioned myself and my clothing, re-tailoring and altering thrift store clothing with the help of Mema’s sewing machine. This introduction to pattern-making in my early years formed my preferred technique of hand-building pots. Never letting my sewing skills become stale has kept my studio practices fresh and challenging.
I grew up in Paris, Tennessee – ‘Home of the World’s Biggest Fish Fry.’ Paris is in the eastern part of the state, full of rolling hills, lush farmland and Kentucky Lake, where my family spent every summer camping, water-skiing and riding four-wheelers. I was raised on my Mema’s cornbread and white beans, and I grew to appreciate time spent in the kitchen, creating special dishes that became family, and even community, favorites.As the first in my family to graduate from college, I received my Bachelor’s degree in art in 2004 from Murray State University in western Kentucky. In 2005, I married and moved to Bradenton, Florida where I now teach elementary and middle school art at a private Montessori school. My pottery is informed by the relationships formed through food and the value of tradition taught to me by my Mema, who still makes cornbread and white beans.