It brings me internal peace to carve into clay. There is an element of yoga involved in this art form. As a gift from my mother, with the exception of the first years which I cannot recall, I have practiced yoga and created art. Carving clay and the physical practice of yoga bring, for me, order in a chaotic world. Both practices are centuries old that take balance and precision but also playfulness and curiosity. They are both harmony of body and mind. It can take hours to carve one piece but there is no time in this space. The world falls quiet and I am alone, at peace, with my clay just as I am on my island when I am on my mat.
Each vessel I create with my hands is an extension of my self. The impressions in each cup are a direct response to the feel of the clay turning in my hands. Each mark created is a response to those impressions as is the placement of the underglaze. While I had previously been creating vessel and surface design as separate considerations, they are now unified.
The slab series I am creating is a stream of consciousness using my own symbol system. The language is similar to cuneiform though it has no sound. The tablet form is a new one for me with clay. The design emerges with a life of it’s own as each mark is made. Side to side, top to bottom and back again, the tablets are in conversation, like whispers in the dark gradually growing louder with every curve and every line.
Slab Work: Tablets
Vessels
