When I finished my Masters Degree in Ceramics, I was awarded The Japanese Fulbright Alumni fellowship to study and work in Japan. This opportunity presented me with the most incredible and inspirational experience of my artistic life. I was able to spend three years studying and working at a small but traditional ceramic studio near Shimonoseki. The master of the studio, Kaoru Fujimoto generously shared his knowledge and experiences of forming, glazing and firing ceramics. He sent me back to the United States with not just training and inspiration but also a traditional Japanese kick wheel, and a name for my studio, Flying Plumtree. He asked only that I transplant his spirit of goodwill and peace along with a plum tree when I built my own studio.

My studio is located in rural Illinois. I Fire my work with a combination of gas and wood fuel. All glazes are nontoxic and food and primarily formulated with wood ash.