Hometown:
I was born and
raised in Kirksville, MO. My family moved to Ballwin (suburb of St. Louis, MO)
when I was 12 years old.
Preferred Mediums:
My work consists of ceramic, mostly porcelain; other natural
and organic materials, as well as some glass and metal materials. I have recently been able to combine my
passion of creating with clay and my love for jewelry to make Ceramics as
Wearable Art.
How many years have you participated
in the Art on the Bluffs, Inc. Art Walk?
This will be my 4th year with AOTB. The staff has always been very friendly
and accommodating. I keep coming
back because of the people who come to this event! I love meeting all of the people who stop at my booth and
talk about their tastes in jewelry as well as their own creative experiences.
Where did you go to school, earn a
degree, or formally study art?
I graduated with a BS in Art Education from SIUE. I plan on going back there to get a
Masters in Ceramics and Metalsmithing.
I love teaching children as much as I love teaching adults how to be
creative. I had a great experience
with all of my art teachers growing up, so much that I wanted to be just like
them.
What is your art about & what
inspires your work?
I have always been drawn to contrasts that exist in nature,
as well as texture, shape, and that anything handmade can make something
sentimental. Color, texture,
weight, pattern, symmetry, and contrast are all variable that you can find in
my work.
What is your creative process
like?
I am very lucky to have a spare bedroom converted into a
studio space. Everyday I go there to collect my thoughts and begin
creating. I normally make a set of
ceramic beads first. I play in
clay; I make designs as they come to me.
After the pieces are fired and glazed I usually turn them into a pendant
or incorporate the ceramic pieces into a necklace or other piece of
jewelry. I like to experiment with
new techniques and try something different every now and again. I talk with like minded women who enjoy
making jewelry and get inspired by them.
I look online for techniques and pretty glazes that I could incorporate
into my work. Inspiration is all
around us, everyday I get inspired to create and make something new.
How or when in your life did you
know you wanted to be an artist?
I sort of just became an artist over the years of making art
in school, I wanted to continue the craft as I graduated and got older. When I was in high school, every piece
of my artwork was put into the gallery and display cases. This was a huge encouragement for me to
peruse the arts as a teenager. I
fell in love with pottery in high school, mainly because of my teacher Pam
McCormick. She made me confident
to go above and beyond the typical assignment. Taking the skills she taught me, I made beautiful ceramic
work, things that I still cherish to this day. After high school I took classes at Meramec community
college. My ceramics
professor/artist Jim Ibur was another great motivation for me to continue in
the art world. He taught me how to
throw clay on a wheel for the first time in my life, and I was hooked. I continued my arts education at SIUE,
taking a summer long primitive ceramics class from professor/artist Paul Dresang. With him I got to experience firing a
RAKU kiln, a wood burning kiln, and a pit fire kiln along with a few other ways
to fire pottery; all of which were invaluable to me.
Where can your work be viewed?
There are three places I currently have work online.
I do at home “Paint Your Own Pottery and Glass” parties. A
mobile pottery studio!
I teach Jewelry Classes at Michaels Arts and Crafts store in
Florissant, MO.
Upcoming shows:
“Lady Bug Beads” Bead Art Show, St. Louis, MO. 63119.
September 29th, 2012.
Fall Craft Fair, Florissant MO. 63031. October 14th, 2012.
Jobie Boutique, St. Louis, MO. October 20th,
2012.
St. Angela Merici - Craft Fair, St. Louis, MO. 63034.
November 3rd, 2012.
What shows have you displayed in?
St. Angela Merici School Craft Fair, St. Louis, MO. 2011-
Present
Jobie Boutique, St. Louis. 2010 - Present
Art On The Bluffs, Columbia IL. 2009-Present
Fall Craft Fair, Florissant MO. 2007 - Present
Consigned work at “Beat It” bead store on Main St.
Edwardsville, IL
Graduate and Undergraduate Best of Arts show. SIUE, Spring
2009.
Fort Gondo Art Gallery. St. Louis, MO, Spring 2008.
Undergraduate Art Show. SIUE, Fall 2007.
Art East. SIUE,
Fall 2007.
