Currently I am investigating a body of work that highlights the possibilities of deliberate surface decoration enhanced by the more serendipitous variables derived from wood firing. The implementation of ash glaze along with the chaos of the atmosphere inside a wood kiln allows me to give up a small bit of control over the final result, in turn leading to a level of liveliness and abstraction that I could never recreate on my own. I try to think of the wood kiln as a partner in a very collaborative relationship.

I want my work to have a sense of movement and energy. I find myself fascinated with the idea of capturing a moment during peak temperature when the glazes have slid down the profile of a pot, abstracting the surface imagery, and preserving the story of the firing and the passage of time.

I fire my work in a single sprung arch kiln with a bourry box (external firebox).
Beyond the aesthetic qualities that finishing my work in a wood kiln delivers, there are two other factors that make wood firing highly important to me. Firing with wood is not easy - it requires constant attention and consideration, but being with the work from the idea in your head all the way through to implementing the energy required to mature and vitrify the final work is wildly gratifying. The second notion about wood firing is a bit more romantic, but nevertheless true. Firing with wood today means being part of a tradition that goes back thousands of years, and to be a part of that lineage is both humbling and energizing.