From the formations of galaxies in the ever-expanding universe to the movement of wind patterns on Earth, spiral sequences in nature are everywhere. Humans have always had a deep relationship with the cyclical nature of spirals, and they frequently appear in art and human records throughout time. I am fascinated by this aspect: the relationship between humans and spirals, a relationship that spans centuries. 

The spiral works that comprise “Morning Song” are made both from within and with hopes to evoke a meditative state. And they were sparked by a major shift in my daily studio practice. For most of my life I worked late nights in my studio, often going to sleep when the sun began to rise. Then, due to personal life changes, I began to need to work very early in the morning. I now start working before the sun comes up, and watch it rise each day.

Each of the paintings in the “Throne” series are created on a potter's wheel with oil paint on Belgian linen. The stretched linen canvas is centered on a customized potter's wheel, and oil paint is applied to the surface. Then, much of the paint is removed from the surface of the canvas with a technique called reduction, until only the right amount of paint is left while the canvas rotates, circumnavigating the area between my elbow and fingertips.

The ceramic forms are made using a method which echoes a craft technique from Neolithic times. Each vessel is crafted with a traditional pinch technique that is constrained by the physical limitations of my body. I start with my right hand, pinching until it can pinch no more, and then move onto my left hand, until it also can pinch no more. Each of the forms is fired in a Japanese wood-fired kiln called an anagama. In an anagama, the ash from the wood melts as the kiln reaches temperatures of over 2300℉, coating the surface of the objects, with the draft of the flame painting the surface during the firing process. The kiln cools slowly, allowing the ceramic to grow crystalline structures that rise to the surface and mix with the existing minerals within the material of the object. The firing and cooling processes often take more than two weeks, and require months of preparation. Ultimately, one must trust in the elemental spiraling mystery of how the vessels will emerge from the fire.