After sixty years as an artist, people ask how it all began. We had an annual art project during my education at Phelps Grade School in Springfield, Missouri. Using Papier Mache, balloons, or any other form to build the newspaper and glue forms, I could build animals or any object we wanted. I would consider and plan to make these animals all year. It got out of hand; I would make eight-foot-tall animals! I was excited about this experimentation and the thrill of construction. To this day, I get nostalgic when I smell tempera paint and shellac.
I continued exploring forms, and I have worked with clay since college and grad school. I am currently studying the interaction of light as it applies to translucent porcelain. The clay I use is porcelain; I strive to find movement or attitude to present decoration, color, and pattern for modern pottery. Like most artists, I see memory as a strong influence in my art.