My journey began in Massachusetts. As a young girl, I spent long hours in nature and through the connections to spirit and the natural world my art began to take form. I was encouraged to express my imagination and used available natural materials to create my first art projects. They were fairy houses, clay angels and many hours spent in the school art room. My mother was a weaver and sparked my love of textiles.
While raising my children on Cape Ann I found a sense of community and collaboration. I sat with a group of old time wood carvers who shared their stories and techniques. I taught art to many wonderful children and young adults all over Massachusetts and especially enjoyed reflecting on the art retreat I co-led at the Campion Renewal Center in Weston, MA.
Honoring and moving with the rhythms of nature brought me to Anderson Ranch in Snowmass, Colorado, where I worked in clay with artists from around the country and shared their stories. Through that experience I learned to relax and see color and form from a different perspective.
In Jamaica under the tutelage of Chris Gustin and Doug Casebeer I learned to read the language of the wood fired kiln. As a team,we acquired the patience to understand and trust the rhythms and breathing of the kiln, as the flames and smoke danced with the drafts inside.
I learned the pure essence of co-creation in Gobardiya, Nepal. With minimal translation, I worked with the artists of nine extended families who, for generations, have created beautiful and functional pots. Each person has his or her own role. Only the men threw the pots, women then added the slip and their own unique designs while balancing the pots on their big toes, and the older women hand-built the cookware.
I was invited to the Greek island of Kea to co-create a potters studio for Vicki Snyder. On this island we were challenged by access to tools and materials, logistics of travel as well as the way time moved on the island. Working with island people and the artist of Athen, we planned and established a potters studio that is now used by Vicki and potters from around the world.
Now residing in New Mexico, I continue to collaborate with different artists. I learned the art of kiln building with Doug Casebeer and friends in Galisteo. We laughed around the fire glowing in the kiln while waiting to see the results of our labors. We gathered later at the studio of Priscilla Hoback to show our work. Seasonal contemporary clay shows brought a number of artists together to display their ceramic pieces. Stories of Spanish blacksmithing rose above the hammering of hot metal taking form of traditional works of art. Hand quilted pieces continue to flow across the country echoing ancestral stories. The community of co-creating continues sharing in stories, cultures, histories and dreams of what is to come.