Bonnard, a new ceramic series is based on paintings and drawings of a basket Pierre Bonnard  represented in his artwork over the course of three decades. Bonnard never painted from life. He studied his objects and subjects then went into the studio to paint his thoughts of what he saw and not a direct observation. By recreating his painted basket in the round, I take the representation of Bonnard’s thoughts of the basket and make an object of our combined thoughts through my hands.

Love is an investment that goes beyond ease and aesthetics. These sculptures are portraits of people’s “Velveteen Rabbit.” This series celebrates the symbolic, sentimental value of objects that have no other worth. It explores the ties between people and the material world, the transference of memory and emotions onto objects and the comfort they provide. For our love of this world goes beyond what has a beating heart.

“Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.” – The Velveteen Rabbit

An ongoing series of small hand-sculpted Xmas ornaments. The Xmas tree is a symbolic object to hold our personal objects. Evergreens have a  preChristian history to symbolize eternal life, and hope. For me, the objects hung from it's branches have become a once a year reflection of who we were, who we are now and what we aspire to be. It has become a storyteller of our family history, our adventures, our creativity and how we want to represent ourselves to ourselves and guests. By creating ornaments, I make a part of a larger installation of self-expression. I create miniature objects that help tell the story of  the person who acquires it. The gallery for this work is a tree. The object is recognizable but for each viewer it has it’s own meaning and by putting it on a tree the context changes with what it is placed next to.

“We acquire, share, and bestow objects, using them to define the status of our relationships—with both other individuals and the world at large. These objects serve as markers of our professional and social identities, symbolizing significant moments and milestones in our lives.” -The Secret Life of Objects by  Elena Caslini

I find comfort in the simplicity of functional forms that have mastered their purpose, their design refined through years of utility. I revel in the elegance of simplicity, often choosing to work with basic shapes that bring objects back to their foundational elements. Stripping away excess, I uncover the beauty inherent in straightforward forms. My creations pay homage to these perfected structures, and I use this framework as a jumping point off in my own creativity.