About Me
Welcome again to my website I appreciate everyone's support and interest in my work. For those of you who don't know a lot about me here's a little info for ya! I was born in Saint Louis MO. I am a big Cardinal and Blues fan of course.. Rams ? well I'm trying! I began doing ceramics in high school during a short stint in Chicago. I was accepted to many art colleges on scholarships for my drawing and pastels during my senior year. At that point I was more focused on two dimensional art. It was after my first semester at Fontbonne University in Saint Louis before I was fully devoted to ceramics again. After realizing how much I loved working in this medium I also understood I wasn't that good at it. My decision was simple I could work hard at being a successful ceramic artist for my life or I can get a desk job. Nothing against desk jobs it just doesn't work well with my A.D.D. At the beginning of the first summer of my college career I was hired at Silver Dollar City in Branson Mo. There I would be working as a production potter in their studios. I would demonstrate on stage for hours a day and eventually create a large amount of work in a short time. I swayed the "Master Potter" to hire me for cheap because I threw a big vase during my interview. We both learned the following week that I wasn't good at making one pound coffee cups on the wheel. After several weeks of daily working on the wheel and constant harassment from my boss (who is a huge inspiration of my work and work ethic) my skills began to improve. I returned to school at summers end and returned to Silver Dollar City at summers beginning for the next four years. After Graduating in 2002 with a Masters in Fine Arts I began teaching at local schools and community facilities. Now I am the Ceramics instructor at Jefferson College in Hillsboro Mo. In my work I try to achieve a whimsical style that questions the use of my ware as a functional item. A lot of my inspiration comes from the art of presenting food. Especially due to my older brother Matt, who is an excellent chef and instructor as well. My work is a high fired white stoneware. I fire to almost 2400 degrees or what is considered to be cone ten. I picture my work never sitting behind closed cabinets, it is made to be used or at least viewed as it can be. I continue to push myself and my creativity to create a strong body of work. That is separate now from the lotions jars and pie plates of my past.
