Ceramics Artist Statement 

     I do art because it makes me happy. When I sculpt I feel like I'm bringing something to life. I love being able to touch my work and create art by getting my hands dirty. I like to think of my artwork as “thinking outside the box.” When I’m assigned a project I like to try to think of a way to make my project different from others. My main goal as an artist is to make a piece that makes me happy. Another goal I have is to challenge myself. I feel like if I don't challenge myself than the piece won’t be interesting. I also try to make it a goal to try to get the viewer to ask “how did you do that,” it makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something.

       My decision making process with my projects is pretty simple. I normally sketch out my ideas in my sketchbook and brainstorm. Sometimes I think about my project before bed and when I come up with an idea I write it down in my sketchbook. I like to sketch a couple of ideas just to make sure. Sometimes as I’m working I think of random ideas I don’t write down and I add elements just to be a little spontaneous or when I think my piece needs to be more complex. I also like to start by researching professional artists or just inspirational images. To continue with the spontaneity I choose the theme, materials, and technique randomly. My pieces rarely ever look exactly like my sketches.

     I am currently working on two pieces, a bust and a tea set. I just finished the wet clay of the tea set but my bust just needs some last details and finishing touches to bring it to its complete look. My inspiration for the bust was surrealism done by Salvador Dali. My inspiration for the tea set was just a want to test myself on how well I can a do basic design on a solid form. I feel like the tea set shows how i’ve grown through the design and the challenge I faced while building the form. The bust I feel expresses my mind. I want the viewer to want to see every angle of my bust. For my tea set I want the viewer to see it as a traditional tea set. I really try to challenge myself with my sculpting abilities and form. With each project I continue to improve my technique.