My work with clay has been influenced by the study of animation at Sheridan College, life-drawing and an interest in modern dance. The earliest sculptures were exaggerations of human form and gesture.
During a mentorship program in 2011, I was searching for a way to use clay in a more immediate process than carving or modelling. I began experimenting by limiting manipulation of clay by my hands or tools. This evolved into a method of stacking and assembling torn clay slabs, so that each clay piece is connected in order to support the next addition.
The resulting lines and negative space in the assembled pieces seem to echo human movement and gesture. The finished forms resemble a choreography of pushing toward or pulling away and have no defined top or bottom. Each sculpture will stand upright from several sides, creating a unique image in each position.
One sculpture, titled Shuffle, was chosen by FUSION, The Ontario Clay and Glass Association, to be added to the Art Gallery of Burlington contemporary ceramic collection.
In 2020 I will participate in the group exhibition, 2020 Women Working with Clay Exhibition at Valentine Museum, Richmond Virginia during NCECA annual conference March 24 to 28, and then from April 9 to June 10 at Eleanor D. Wilson Gallery, Hollins University, Roanoke Virginia.