I handbuild ceramics—mainly animals like bullfrogs, cardinals, and lilypads.

I also draw and watercolor. I lightly sketch subjects—squirrels, beaches, flowers—for proportion, then add color and shading. I carry a sketchpad and small watercolor set everywhere.

Once I read everywhere. Now I draw or paint everywhere.


Crow in November, The Netherlands.

I make delicate flowers into something permanent and beautiful.

Lilies! Graceful, timeless.

Stargazer lily.

Muscadet Oriental Lily

Brown eyed Susan - lovely flowers along the road, in the fields, and in my garden.

The trees by the school near my house, on a beautiful fall day.

Very young squirrel on my deck.

American Bullfrog.

Junco in the snow.

Raku bird - I made this little guy with a special raku clay and glaze.

Then Lee, the studio master, put him in a wood fire, followed by a bath in cold water to stop the firing. It’s an unpredictable method - the fire changes temperature and chemical composition constantantly.

Raku bird has a lovely blue and coppery sheen.

California Quail

For some reason, I became fascinated by this bird. Painting him took forever. The feathers in his topknot are actual California quail feathers from a responsible breeder. The result was amazing.

I had never painted a bird with so many variegated colors before! I layered underglaze upon underglaze, with the delicacy of a watercolor.

But with underglazes, unlike watercolors, I could only guess at the outcome: the kiln firing determines the result. It worked out really well.