I like to make things

Sometimes it’s a sculpture–and that’s freedom. Freedom to make something that meets only my aesthetic requirements. Freedom to explore an idea and change my mind and to respond to the thing I’m making.  Freedom to follow the process, see where it takes me and feel the joy.

Sometimes it’s a useful object–and that’s love.  To make and object for someone else–a cup, a bowl, a plate–is to give them pleasure in eating, and happiness and love along with their food.  A useful object has to meet a lot of given requirements; it has to be appealing and look good, it has to be structurally sound and work well, and the glaze has to be perfect–not to mention food safe.  It also has to be interesting for me to make.  The joy comes in making others happy–and that’s love.