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Working in clay is a way to journal for me. I respond to the environment around me and when in my studio I transfer my senses or images into clay. For example, my multi-fired bowls are a result of spending time in Yellowstone Park. The Yellowstone geysers are reflected in the blue centers of the bowls with textured surroundings or crusty edges. The canyons are symbolized in the raw outside of the terra cotta clay and as one approaches the bowl, the interior becomes visible with textured sides of the canyons and the colors of terra cotta, ochre, blue, and maroon reveal themselves. Presently, I am working on forms that are a result of a canoe trip on the Missouri. The horizontal lines cut into the hills, cliff swallow’s nests, and the random trails of rocks mark, are what I hope will translate to clay leaving an organic feel and a sense of timelessness to the form. Impressed weeds, tree bark, glazes which reflect a surface of the aspen tree, or cracks in the earth are tools which can capture my attention or sense of place.