Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background as an artist?
Well, I’ve been drawing and painting since I was itty bitty and got fairly serious about it in adulthood, painting portraits of animals. A brain injury brought a lot of things in my life to a crashing halt and some years were spent needing to relearn some of the basics. One of my therapists got wind of my having been an artist and was the one to reintroduce me to that part of my life. That is when the next phase of my brain healing finally began. Art really can do amazing things, especially when it comes to reconnecting the wiring and building new pathways in the noggin. Things are still very different and I, myself, am very different… but still blessed. And thankful. Art, an awesome husband and mom, my horses and some good old Irish redhead hardheadedness all mixed together to beat a lot of the odds that they said were permanent. Art isn’t the same as it was. Traditional canvases don’t really work for me anymore. And I have some challenges with what I took for granted before (color mixing and such). So, the search has been on to find my new “base” ever since. A journey that’s had it’s fair share of frustration as each thing that I tried just didn’t feel quite right. I had dabbled with some pottery pre-brain injury and finally had an opportunity to take a Parks and Rec class late in 2023. That changed everything. We like to joke that I’ve spent my life playing in mud (outdoorsy gal that I am)… Now I’m just doing it with a bigger purpose. I am finally able to take what I have in my brain and bring it to life on clay. And it is helping me with my day to day life, as well. I feel like I have found home, if that makes sense.
Where does the inspiration for your work come from?
I’ve always had a huge love of the outdoors and everything in it, with horses bringing me much joy as a professional rider, trainer and photographer (all things that also changed a bit after the brain thing), so a lot of my work revolves around those amazing animals, along with all of the other creatures that surround us daily here on our farm in rural Virginia.
In addition to creating your own ceramic art, what are your hobbies?
I am back to being an avid reader and have started writing again, though some days have more challenges than others on those fronts. We are heavily involved in animal rescue, so that keeps us hopping and busy a lot of the time. I do still dabble in my photography, though mostly just for my own pleasure and of our own crazy adventures. Otherwise, we just stay busy caring for our nutty crew of furry and feathered family members consisting of 8 rather spoiled felines, 2 pony sized canines, a plethora of opinionated chickens, 4 1/2 equines (we only count the 31″ tall one as a half) and a conure that is convinced that he is a dog. Along with whatever wonderful/wayward creatures are staying with us as we find them a soft landing.
How do Mayco products fit into your designs?
Each of Mayco’s products that I have tried, I have been thrilled with. I’m needing to be a little budget conscious, so am slowly adding to my Mayco toolbox as I go. Right now, I am discovering the joys of the black and white Designer Liners and all of the ways that they can be utilized in my work. For my Sgraffito work, I have loved using the black Fundamentals underglaze and am looking forward to experimenting with more of the underglazes as I get braver/more adventurous with adding more color into my pieces. Truly, I am excited at the possibilities with all of the Mayco lineup… literally “all the things”. At the reasonable prices for such high quality products, they are making it possible for me to keep growing as I navigate this pottery journey that is making me feel whole again.
