StoneFlowerPottery

In 1974 I sat at a potter's kickwheel and gave it such a solid push that I knocked myself backwards to the clay-spattered floor. That first kickwheel was at the Robinson Center for Crafts in Binghamton. Later I studied at Touchstone Center for Crafts in Pennsylvania and then worked at home while I studied with Pete Nye at SUNY Alfred and participated in shows at the Herrick Library.
I was lucky enough to work at the School of Art and Design, Alfred University Summer Clay programs with John Gill several times and in 2004 joined a group of Alfred University students to travel to Jingdezhen China to celebrate the thousandth anniversary of porcelain.
In 1998 I became a member of the Allegany Artisans and have served as a board member and officer ever since. I use an electric wheel and throw while standing firmly on 2 feet, no toppling over expected.


My hands force lumps of clay to be round, tall and wide in my little studio in our 1880s home along the Genesee River in Wellsville. I enjoy the rhythm of throwing and making miniatures with my fingertips as well as large forms with the force of all my body.
Large or small, whatever I am making, each pot is important. I sometimes feel that I reach into clay to touch earth and history, forming useful items by forcing clay between my hands and then using time and fire to harden the shapes. It is an honor to be a potter and to have bowls and creatures involved in the daily lives of people around the world.
I was recently honored by the Skutt Kiln Peep Show in Philadelphia at the National Council on Ceramic Arts Education conference and by being part of Starting Small at the Artist Knot in Andover.

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