My figurative ceramic work examines how circumstance, experience, attitude, and aging changes the psyche and the physical body.  I am not interested in creating traditional, idealized figures, but rather in finding beauty in each unique and imperfect body. I do not work from models. I rely on visual memory, narrative, imagination (and an occasional peak in the mirror) to create these sculptures. In 2010, I was inspired to draw with graphite pencil directly on the surface of my work after seeing Sol Lewitt’s exhibition of wall drawings at Mass MOCA.  The texture of the fired ceramic clay serves as a perfect foundation for this type of exploration.  These surface drawings appear as textile design on some figures and in others, as intricate, extensive body tattoos that mask the wearer’s nakedness and vulnerability.  I continue to discover new ways in which these pencil marks create a second skin to enhance the form, intent, and intricacy of each sculpture.