“My work often starts with a slab of clay that I upright and sculpt. I am searching for the person within my medium. Each piece of clay seems to let me know who wants to come out. I draw on my clay, mark it, rip it, and construct it. Once this process is complete I fire it (first) in the electric kiln. It is then ready to be glazed. The glazing is my expression in painting. I glaze and paint the piece on and off for several days, until its myriad of colors and layers leads me to believe it will transform into something more alive after the final firing.
The main firing is American Style Raku. The pieces are placed in a kiln and fired rapidly until they glow red/orange. We open the kiln and place them (still red hot) in a steel container and pack them in straw. The process becomes an explosion of smoke and fire which gives it a patina of antiquity. Each artwork shows that moment of the fire and smoke. The result is a gesture of the foreverness of the human spirit. In the end it’s as if I have met a character for the first time. It is my aspiration that I can share that personal feeling with others through their experience of these characters. Influences include Marc Chagall, Pierre Pascal, Antique toys, Children’s art, folk art, and William Steig“ - Barbara Harnack
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