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I was born in Greenwich, Connecticut, but have spent many years in Canada, France, England, Switzerland, and India. In 1976, I finally returned to the United States and settled down in New
York. Living in so many countries and traveling to others has had a strong influence on me, and my work is a fusion of many cultures.
Although I make functional ware, my greatest enjoyment is in
one-of-a-kind pieces. I love variety in all aspects of my life, and I bring this into my art.
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Learning how to center the clay was probably my most frustrating experience. Once I achieved that basic and very important step, everything else seemed to fall in place. Over the years, I have honed
my throwing and hand-building skills, but still have a great deal to learn. There is always a half-opened door in front of me, and I need to open it fully, so I can learn new techniques. I am basically a self-taught
artist and potter. I learn through workshops, reading, videos, and experimenting.
Working with clay is exhilarating, because there is always something new to try in form, in surface treatment, and of course in the wonderful world of glazes. Curiosity keeps us young in mind and
spirit. To satisfy that curiosity, we need to keep experimenting and challenging ourselves. What can be more exciting than discovering a new method, a new glaze, or in imagining an elusive form and then making it
come alive?!
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 I enjoy carving. Although I was first inspired by old oriental
wood and lacquer carvings, many of my ideas and designs come from nature, pictures, and my imagination. Because  of its smooth surface, porcelain lends itself to carving. The subtle colors of a soft celadon glaze define and highlight the images. My
carvings are usually of flowers, but I also do birds, fish, scenic pictures, and animals. I either carve freehand, or draw a design on the leather-hard clay then carve it out with various tools. It is a
long and detailed process, which requires a lot of patience. Some of the pieces take days to carve, but I love watching  each part of the picture emerge. I keep the clay hydrated to avoid clay dust and because it is easier to carve a damp surface. The downside is that there is a lot of
breakage. When I have spent hours on a piece and am carving the final part,  it is heartbreaking to have it crack or break.
I also like adding sculpted elements to my pieces. This little frog is an example.
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Pitchers and bottles with long necks are also among my favorite forms. The long thin necks are always a challenge, because they tend to twist.
I have read many methods of making long necks, but keeping the wheel speed slow and pulling up slowly works for me. These two pieces bring together my love of shape, carving, and celadon glaze.
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One of the greatest joys I find in pottery is the play of glazes, which sometimes literally seem to frolic with each other. The final effect can be stunning. For the bowl on the right, I
brushed one glaze on the outside, then poured another on the inside, waxed the rim, and poured another glaze over part of the inside. To be even more adventurous, I brushed on a band of a third glaze.
The results were a complete and lovely surprise.
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This teapot was hand-built in cone 6 porcelain. I wanted to create an unusual teapot with a celestial motive. I stamped it with moons, stars and suns, then colored it with underglazes and a blue wash.
After bisque firing, I used a clear glaze. The lid was a challenge, as I needed a hole to make it flow well, but did not want a hole in the lid itself or on the teapot. An engineer friend came up with the idea of
making a groove on the underside of the lid and down the lid's "neck", which worked beautifully! I now use this method whenever I am making a pouring vessel with a small flat lid.
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