Mud Alley Pottery
Cherry Hill, NJ
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I began working in clay in 1975 while still in high school and went on to earn an Associates of Fine Arts Degree from Camden County College in 1980 before transferring to East Tennessee State University and earning a BFA with a concentration in clay in 1982. I was a studio tech and adjunct faculty at Glassboro State College for many years, as well as an instructor at the Merchantville Art co-op and Parsons Center for the Arts. Recently, I have taught a workshop as well as, occasionally teaching a few semesters at Cumberland County College. I also offer semi-private instruction in my home studio, Mud Alley Pottery. My work has been displayed in museums and in galleries throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maine, New Hampshire and Ohio. I participate annually in various juried shows in New Jersey including the Haddonfield Crafts and Fine Arts Festival, The Wheaton Arts Festival of Fine Crafts and The Sugarloaf Craft Festivals in Maryland as well as the Rhinebeck Crafts Festival in New York.

I feel that I am profoundly affected by what surrounds me. As I travel on my journey through life, my clay work is influenced by everything that touches me. My porcelain and stoneware clay work follows the clean, understated simplicity of Oriental philosophies. It was free of texture and followed simple lines. As I began to explore texture, I created interesting surfaces by simply using whatever I found. I forced a natural look with man made objects. I then discovered that nature had already made objects that were the perfect tools for my work. My current work is inspired by a workshop I took with Dale Shuffler and many week-ends in the woods with my children. I use real leaves on my pieces. The result is something more beautiful than anything a mere human could ever create. Each piece is unique as the leaves can only be used once. With the first frost the leaves are gone which leaves me with a very short span of time in which to create these pieces. I have also begun to explore additional means of texture. I often incorporate these textures with the leaves. Each piece is a functional piece of art, I make them with the intention that they actually be used. As I continue to be influenced by my surroundings, my work continues to evolve. I wonder where life will take it next.

One highlight of my clay career was having Lark Books publish pictures of two of my bowls in their 2003 publication, 500 BOWLS.