Early in my career, as I continued to work with the simple organic forms that attracted me, I began to notice the colors and patterns on natural objects like shells, rocks, even tropical fish. The patterns consist of mottled areas of color or stiples and dots that follow the contours of the object. These patterns enriched the surfaces of the objects in a subtle way that complemented the form. I began to look for a way to do something similar in my work.
I developed a" white on white" slip which contains tin oxide rendering the slip somewhat whiter than the clay body on which it is applied. I wanted these random,repetitive patterns to add interest to the surface without detracting from the form, as in nature. Under the white and clear glazes that I use, the patterns appear as slightly whiter than the clay body.
At first, the patterns were flat,but soon I found that by changing the thickness of the slip and applying it at various stages of the drying process, I could create raised patterns that more dramatically caught the light. At about the same time, I began "drawing" in the soft clay with my fingers as in the tile and the orchid planter, below.
This attention to the surface over the past ten years or so has resulted in my current body of work in which I have been creating bolder textures or patterns that dramatically catch the light by using my fingers or carving directly into the clay.
