Ever since I can remember, I have loved making things. My first memory of creating something I loved is of building a wooden bird house with my grandfather. We painted it that 70s shade of avocado green to match our house and immediately hung it in the pear tree, anticipating the arrival of its new tenants. We built that bird house in our garage and as a young child I was captivated by the possibilities of that garage-- its smell of wood, old tools, and grease.
There wasn’t much focus on art in my childhood, but I come from a family of unionworkers and builders, so I think a lot of my work ethic and desire to make things comes from that. I was also always trying to keep up with the boys (even in a sundress), so if the kids in the neighborhood were building a skate ramp, fixing a swing set, or “digging to China", I was the first one there with my grandpa’s tools.
I was never really that into school, but once I started high school I was totally disinterested-- until I took a ceramics class. I was immediately enamored by the process, the challenge, and how tactile it was. I didn’t start college until I was 23 but previous to that I completed a work study with a potter in Western New York; my mentor to whom I owe everything for helping me find my way. I also attended several workshops and craft schools in the years before that. I graduated with a BFA from Alfred University in 2005. Since then I’ve made sculpture, created my own line of porcelain wares, organized and participated in art shows, sold my wares wholesale and retail, and taught both kids and adults ceramics. I’ve always continued making through the ups and downs in my life. Working with clay has been my full time job and my meditation practice.
My current body of work, Miss Millie Ceramics, is a line of small-batch pottery handmade in my home studio in Milton, Delaware. I use a variety of techniques including wheel throwing, slab building and pinch pots, while exploring playful shapes and forms. I love to design and carve my own clay stamps of animals, plants and figures. Nature and the colorful world of travel are my biggest inspirations. All of my pieces are hand-painted with underglazes and slips using patterns and color to cheer up the surface. Whether it’s that bright mug you look forward to for your morning coffee or the handmade bowl that makes your homemade soup even more comforting, every piece is made with the intention that your everyday be a little more joyful when using a colorful, fun, and functional piece of art.