In 1990 I fell in love with clay. What began as a casual relationship soon blossomed into a full time commitment. I quit my job, bought a ton of clay, and turned my 200 year old barn into a ceramic studio.

Self taught, I have developed several unique processes that differentiate the 'Petrified Forest' look from other ceramic forms and surfaces. I spent a year in Japan, where I was introduced to the concept of shibumi. The traditional Japanese craftsman has a sense of 'oneness' with both nature and his materials. Mine are leaves, colors, clay. After kiln firing the fragile and fleeting leaves and malleable clay are transformed into an eternal, impervious work of art.

Each unique piece begins with a quiet walk in the woods, where I select the leaves that make every bowl or tile a one-of-a-kind work of art. Back in the studio I roll out a thick slab of Pennsylvania stoneware clay. Colors are applied, then leaves are pressed into the clay. Fired to over 2000 degrees, the finished piece is a reflection of the woods and fields and streams that surround my studio in rural Berks County. Post firing the surface is protected with a quarry tile sealer. Bowls are microwave and dishwasher safe, need no special care.

"Good design does not compete with its environment. It becomes a part of it."