I strive to fuse my passion for the natural environment with ceramics - each finished piece is a unique clay microcosm.

The process I use to bring this desire to fruition is painstaking.  The piece is first thrown on an electric wheel using a fine porcelain clay.  The base is trimmed when it has dried to the leatherhard stage and is then ready to proceed to the carving stage.

Stage 1: Sketch

First, I evaluate the piece and lightly sketch the layout with a pencil.

Stage 2: Set Design

Once satisfied with the design, I set it with the pencil by incising lines up to 1/8” deep.

Stage 3: Rough Carve

Next, I carve away the negative side of the design down to the pencil depth – less when elements overlap.

Stage 4: Wet Sponge

Using a wet sponge, I smooth out the carving marks going lightly over the edges so as not to lose too much detail.

Stage 5: Clean Up

I then clean up any excess clay from the edges using the flat tip of a dental tool.

Stage 6: Detail

I begin adding detail and further develop layered effects to achieve a sense of depth.
The piece may be very dry at this point and great care must be taken to avoid cracks.

Stage 7: Medium Sponge

Using a much drier sponge I blend away the finer carving marks while retaining as much detail as possible.

Stage 8: Final Carving/Detail

The final carving stage includes any remaining edge cleanup and details.
The eyes are added at this point in order to retain crisp detail in them.

Stage 9: Light Sponge

I use a lightly wet sponge and dab all over the piece to develop a consistent orange peel texture.

Stage 10: Sign & Date

All that remains now is the final touch…signing and dating the piece.

Bisque Firing • Glazing • High Firing
The carved piece is allowed to reach the bone dry stage before it is bisque fired. Afterwards it is ready to glaze.

The footring receives a coating of wax to resist the glaze.

The interior is poured and allowed to dry.

The piece is inverted and glaze is applied using an airbrush.

The glaze thickness is monitored closely to ensure an even application.

The piece is then flipped over and finished.

The sprayed vessel is now ready to proceed to the final firing stage.

Click here to view the finished piece.