Originally hailing from Massachusetts, I moved west after college to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles. While there I learned ceramics through my local community center. Although I did manage to work on some neat acting things (including a fun Superbowl commercial!), it wasn’t enough to live on most years, and my love of ceramics overtook my search for fame and fortune. In 2011 I decided to take steps to make ceramics my full time profession. I moved to Portland, OR to pursue an MFA in Applied Craft and Design through a joint program between Pacific Northwest College of Art and Oregon College of Art and Craft.

Although I’d spent years teaching community classes in Los Angeles, I thought an MFA might propel me into a more collegiate teaching situation. A chance internship at Portland ceramics manufacturing facility, Mudshark Studios, forever altered my trajectory and fast-forwarded my ceramics career. I worked my way from Caster to Production Manager and recently became Operations Manager of the busy company. In addition I own a thriving business of my own, integrating the wheel throwing of my early years with the production techniques I learned in the professional setting of Mudshark. Pre-Covid, I still found time to teach community classes and hope to get back to that soon.

I approach ceramics with a whole lot of elbow grease and a good dose of humor. I pride myself on making things you didn’t know you needed in an unexpected and colorful way. My work is meant to brighten up whatever surface needs a little extra something special, to be well used and well loved.