It happens that 2024 is the 50th anniversary of throwing my first pot and for 13 years I produced wheel work for a couple of studios in California when life took a different turn. Though I was exceptionally busy raising 6 kids and running my own company, I refused to ignore or let go of my love for clay and the process of making. When retirement came into view, I was fortunate to be able to build my ideal studio in our backyard and to give myself the gift of renewed learning and discovery in clay. I also wanted to be involved in Oregon’s lovely and extensive community of potters, particularly wood firers. I enjoy both functional and sculptural making and the overlapping of usefulness and beauty. I work primarily in high fire stoneware in gas and wood reduction atmospheres. I am inspired by the traditions of the past, contemporary masters and informed by my constant attention to forms and textures in nature.