About the Artist

What do you make/produce and how?

I create functional and sculptural ceramic ware. I use a variety of techniques; wheel-throwing, slab and coil construction. I make my own glazes or use Potter’s Choice glazes.

 

What are you passionate about?

I am passionate about many things, but creating, teaching and sharing art is what drives me. I love experimenting with new concepts, so I am constantly trying new things. I love constructing with my hands, whether it be with clay, metal, or wood. When I see projects in my mind and I execute them, I am satisfied. 

 

Briefly explain a time of adversity in your life and what you learned from it or how you overcame it?

I had a rough childhood, my family divorced when I was young and I was bombarded with negative drama and energy from people closest to me. As a child I had to grow up fast and ignore my surroundings, to survive. I was the adult even though the child, I carried both sides of my family through these tough years. The solace I found was Art.  I turned to the creation of art to allow me to block negativity and use my emotions for something productive. I always have been powered by my past to change the family patterns into something positive and impactful. 

 

What would you like readers to know about you, personally? 

I am a Jane of all trades. I started my love in the arts by influence from my Oma (Grandma in German). She exposed me to many artists, art movements and creative thinking as she took care of me as a child. This time with her was the greatest influence another person has had on my life. I always knew one thing about myself, that I needed a career where I could exercise my creative skill. Through the years, I have explored fashion design, painting, metal-smithing and ceramics. After graduating from Kean University with a BFA and Art Teaching Certificate, I found myself teaching multiple art forms in Newark. In that career, I felt like I was contributing positively to society. I was able to bring the grit from my childhood to the classroom, by helping my students express the negativity they sometimes experienced into meaningful art. This career satisfied me for many years, until I personally needed more. I needed to created more art and not just teach it. So, I currently am a Ceramic Instructor at East Brunswick High School and Montclair Art Museum, as well as practice my art & passion, pottery.