I have rolled and shaped clay since my undergraduate days. Early on in my development as a ceramic artist I made two key decisions. I decided to concentrate on developing my hand-building skills and turn away from the wheel, and as well, to create solely in porcelain clay.

Porcelain, known historically as “white gold”, intrigued me because it is a somewhat unforgiving clay body requiring swift decisions and actions but is unrivaled for its beauty and translucence. Composed of tiny particles, the clay can be manipulated even when very thin, to achieve very delicate surfaces and forms. Yet, due to its low plasticity and tendency to crack easily during the firing stage, it is a challenge to work with, and one must be forgiving of it, as much as the clay is unforgiving to the artist.

Challenged by porcelain, I became married to it, and in a monogamous manner, eschewed working with other clay bodies. Over the years I took pleasure in mastering and experimenting with its unique qualities, and pushing the clay to its limits — how thin could I roll it and still make the shape “stick”? How much could I stretch it, wrap it into form and have it survive the firing?

At some point in this process, I took on a lover – texture — and we have been a happy threesome ever since. As my pieces demonstrate, I roll the clay on a variety of textured surfaces, either pieces of fabrics — such as corduroy, burlap, lace — or materials – including placemats, handmade paper, woven kitchen towels – and/or use gadgets to impact texture, including old cooking gadgets, including corers, pastry rollers, and mashers.