My most feared question for the last couple of years has been, “so how’s the studio?” or “what are you working on?” For two years it has been easier to describe what I used to do versus what I am working on now. It’s been a pretty winding road to get to this point in time. A pandemic and a seismic shift in my business are just a couple of things that have changed my trajectory as an artist.

I’ve had my fair share of feeling behind schedule in the studio throughout this year. It has mostly stemmed from realizing that my transition from dinnerware producer to one-of-a-kind studio artist was a much bigger deal than I anticipated. I thought it would be seamless. It was not.

My hospitalization in April for my heart attack was clarifying on many things. When I got back in the studio at the end of May, I decided to give myself whatever space and time I needed to sort things out. I also gave a name to this process–

The Summer of Exploration.

It’s been almost two years since I announced a pause in my dinnerware production and that has meant two years of searching for the language to describe my current goals. As I witness my new work come to life in the studio I’ve learned that the Summer of Exploration is the first official chapter in my post-dinnerware life.

I’ve been building the work for a new collection throughout the summer inside my studio. I’m working on large scale work which is something that I’ve been meaning to do for a really long time. As it turns out that big work takes a bit longer to make its way through the kilns than what I’m used to. The collection is almost ready and I can’t wait to share it with you soon.

For so many years I focused on how my work can fill a table and add to the rituals of daily life. Recently, I’ve been enjoying the opportunity focus on different questions such as how my work can interact with, and live within other spaces in the world…indoors and out.

It’s as exciting a time as it is frightening.