Blog Here are some things to know about my working.  07 | 017 | 2012 Why I do what I do? I am compelled to seek after the unknown, the un-realized in my mind’s eye. I am seventy one years old. As the teacher explained life has three grand age divisions. I have entered the third stage of life; first stage, exploring every new and different way, and reason for doing anything; second stage; prove over and over again that I have make the correct choices; third stage; the age of compulsion, wait patiently for the annotating  moment then do it. I am thrilled with this new age of adventure into the unknown. I seek contact with the divine motherliness inside of me, and with her approval in my keepers create. How did I get into this work? I worked as a set designer on the regional theatre circuit in the 1960’s. In response to my childhood bride’s request that I quit traveling and provide a more stable family life style I began a pottery in Elma Washington; “by the Farm Stoneware” in 1970. There I began the career production of 200 thousand+ pieces of wheel thrown stoneware sold through the floral industry. How do you feel when work is going well? Joyful. Satisfied, Encouraged. Expectant, Loving.  The plasticity of the clay. The preparation for the creation event. The arrangement of the clay, wheel, water and inspiration: the unfinished possibility in the menial resolution of elements. I love the action leading the minds experience of feeling through the eyes; the equivocation of form resulting from fractal imagery when it settles into pictorial form on the clay tile. Here is a list of directives for my daily work; Playfulness, Risk, Unknown, Pleasure, Satisfaction, Sharing, Making a difference, Inspiring, Shocking, Rebellious, New, Import, Giving, Honoring, Valuing, Fun, Caring, Food serving, Uncensored, Open Space, Punk, Social Commentary, Potential, Fractal, Personal Ideation, and Erase. What is your favorite tool? The sumi brush is my favorite tool. It has an historic nature that can be bent and twisted into the punk expression of our contemporary culture. I like best to expose the mind to its fractal nature by weaving visual potentials into a painting composition. In its best action the brush can allow an alert mind to complete the narrative of social commentary. The teacher explains that all art is a mind- compensation for our bodies’ lack of a spiritual gene. The highest art is an allusion to personality directives ruling in the mortal mind. A piece is successful when the indirect looking of the viewer sparks an enlightenment of recognition of personal ideation in his mind and he remembers the unity of the idea and it’s ideal. Clay is my favorite material. I have so much to learn about the potential of its ingredients. I hope to spend these future years studying the artfulness of clay compositions.  What patterns emerge in my work? The open space; the white negative space equivocates with the black color, who’s texture is modeling a dimensional fractal in becoming a cartoon that is real and actual in the depth of the glaze. The forms are animal and people implying story and at its best this intelligence animates across several tiles staying true to charterer and plot. What I do differently from the way I was taught is I do not dictate the commentary of the painting. I don’t render except as its part in erasure. I separate what the painting is trying to inspire from the background through erasure. I wipe off what gets in the way of the story. In the clay work at the wheel. I reveal the form out of the un-centered ball of spinning clay. I do not form or fashion the shape with ribs or tools, templates and the like. I allow the resulting form to shape it’s becoming from the potential in my hands placement, wheel speed, lubrication and gesturing posture of body movements during the pull.  I strive for the vitality and liveliness of form that retains the marks of it creation with in its servicing posture. My favorite  color is orange. It can recede in the landscape or dominate in the foreground. It is compatible with every color most of the time. Unlike the color blue, it elides no prejudices to natural objects. Pottery is primarily an implement of food service; and as such my infused glaze painting recede before the vessels serviceability. When I work with the sumi brush I am always aware of my connection to the revelation. I begin a piece by defining the limits of the expression. I know a piece is finished when I have created space for the owner’s inter play; for his completion. When my work is going well, I am filled with a sense of excitement. When people see my work, I'd like them to feel their spiritual connect with mind. I’d like them to think “yes, this work is telling it like it is for me”.   The canyon walls near Embudo, NM A line of the action of a hatted man Pic of Miles' face eyes looking over his glasses Found Art (Clay on inside walls of sausepan) Poet writting on knee Trivet Trivet One hat with two views showing two faces shareing the 1  hat Detail 2 inch square