bio

I have always loved clay. When I was 10 I made statues of little children out of clay. When I was 14 I made busts of all the Beatles. George was my favorite.
High school was a dry spell while I danced ballet and longed to be able to draw and paint like the rest of my artsy friends.
Then finally at Brandeis University, where pottery was not considered an “art” and so was not a discipline one could study, I discovered the 2 potter’s wheels in the tiny pottery studio in the Student Union. The facility was meant as a means of relaxation for the academic scholars who were pursuing careers in medicine and the law.
However, there was a small but dedicated group of us who committed ourselves to mastering the craft of throwing clay on the wheel. Arriving at the pot shop early in the morning we practiced and practiced until we were finally able to make mugs and bowls and even the occasional pitcher. We fired our creations in 2 electric kilns, dreaming of gas kilns able to produce the reduction glazes which were so popular at the time.
Through trial and error and the diligent study of “how to” books I built a knowledge base that would serve me very well when I eventually went out on my own.
I studied pottery from a historical perspective. When I discovered the blue and white porcelains of China and then the copies created first by the Dutch, then the British and finally the Americans, I found direction for my own work.
Making and selling pottery was a most suitable occupation for me. Running a business and working together with my husband Mark, allowed us to live a modern version of 18th century farm life, what I believe was the ideal condition for raising a family while doing rewarding satisfying work on an equal basis together.
Babies came, the business grew, and my knowledge of the technical aspects of making stoneware just kept building. I was slogging through the world of ball clays, and custer spars, frits, and CMC. I learned how to formulate glazes for the electric kiln and create clay bodies. Eventually throwing gave way to extrusion, ram pressing and slip casting. All along the way I made my slip, and clay and glazes from scratch, and dealt with varying ingredients that are produced for other more important industries.
Now after 30 years of making pottery I still delight in the craft of making things from clay, using the same wheel I bought in 1974.  I have 14 “hobby” kilns, and produce hundreds of plaques a day with the help of a staff of about 12. The challenges are still the same. The cracks, and warping, the under firing and the over firing of the kilns continue to occur depending on the weather, the age of the elements in the kilns and changing ingredients.
I love to share this body of knowledge with potters. Please share your questions and problems and let’s look at the possible solutions together. I can’t wait to hear from you.