Kniti Griti Works, Fredonia, NY
Kniti Griti Works reflects my imagination. Playing in the mud (grit) provides relaxation and amusement. It's like being in kindergarten again.
Footed bowls become a palette for my whimsy as well as beloved personalities. These bowls instantly capture the viewer's sense of humor and awe because the carefully designed legs and feet with bowl atop can so closely capture human personality. There's not a face in sight.
My footed bowls are created from stoneware clay slabs and handbuilt. They are thematically based on interpretations of popular footwear designs or well known characters. They express attitude without a face. They can be functional, holding practical things, yet quirky. They can be customized so anyone can have their unique footed bowl.
For me, raku firing and wood firing are two of the most exciting processes in ceramics. The random action of fire on clay produces subtle uniqueness that is only found in nature.
I started sculpting small animals. I began with a small closed form, added legs and head and let the form and my imagination go. The first attempt led to an elephant. Then approaching clay the same way I have created other animals. I began to see that most vertebrates have the same basic sculptural features, i.e. eyebrows, shoulders, hips, etc. You could say that all my animals still start elephants!
