Ceremonial Teaware Lit by the Flames of Woodfire.
Ceramics has been a passion of mine ever since I was a young girl. My grandmother was an artist who introduced me to sculpting, clay, and painting as early as I can remember. From then on, I quickly fell in love with clay and ran away with it. I grew up in Pennsylvania, and after high school I moved out to the coastal town of Arcata, California where I attended school at Humboldt State University. I majored in Botany and minored in Ceramics. The ties of nature and clay solidified with me during my time there, and I fell in love with wood firing and soda firing.
I moved to Portland, Oregon where I currently reside. I found my way out to the East Creek Anagama, and felt at home. That kiln is a very historic 40 foot Anagama kiln built in the 1983 by ceramicists who I've admired for so long. It sits in the coastal mountains of Oregon in a beautifully forested area. I can see the reflection of the Oregon forest in all of my pieces. I think it is incredible how the minerals and elements of the soil of the forest where the trees come from determine the color of the wood ash when it is melted and reacted with the clay bodies. I fire most of my work just bare clay in the anagama kiln, letting the kiln make the magic and giving it a very pure feeling. I like to pay close attention to where my pieces are placed in the kiln to give certain effects from the wood kiln. It is a laborious process that lasts for about 2-4 days of loading, around 6 days of firing, and then 2 days of cleanup and unloading. Not to mention the long hours that get put in to chop wood! The beautiful gems that come out of the kiln make it all worth it, along with the wonderful clay community that is built around the wood kiln.
I enjoy making tea ware, as tea is a very grounding force of my life. I love to share my love and passion for tea by making tea ware to seep, sip, and share from. All my tea ware is meant for both ceremonial and ritual use. I hope to enlighten tea experiences with the beauty of these pieces. My journey of tea is endless, and I am excited to always be coming out with new teapots and tea cups.
I moved to Portland, Oregon where I currently reside. I found my way out to the East Creek Anagama, and felt at home. That kiln is a very historic 40 foot Anagama kiln built in the 1983 by ceramicists who I've admired for so long. It sits in the coastal mountains of Oregon in a beautifully forested area. I can see the reflection of the Oregon forest in all of my pieces. I think it is incredible how the minerals and elements of the soil of the forest where the trees come from determine the color of the wood ash when it is melted and reacted with the clay bodies. I fire most of my work just bare clay in the anagama kiln, letting the kiln make the magic and giving it a very pure feeling. I like to pay close attention to where my pieces are placed in the kiln to give certain effects from the wood kiln. It is a laborious process that lasts for about 2-4 days of loading, around 6 days of firing, and then 2 days of cleanup and unloading. Not to mention the long hours that get put in to chop wood! The beautiful gems that come out of the kiln make it all worth it, along with the wonderful clay community that is built around the wood kiln.
I enjoy making tea ware, as tea is a very grounding force of my life. I love to share my love and passion for tea by making tea ware to seep, sip, and share from. All my tea ware is meant for both ceremonial and ritual use. I hope to enlighten tea experiences with the beauty of these pieces. My journey of tea is endless, and I am excited to always be coming out with new teapots and tea cups.