My flower sculptures were inspired by an exhibit of Dale Chihuily’s glass sculptures, presented in the Atlanta Botanical Garden. I am an avid gardener and a long time admirer of Chihuily and was eager to see how his sculptures would work outside in the garden and whether they would compete with the beauty of the flowers themselves.
I attended the opening night reception in April 2004. I saw the sculptures in their natural settings change from daylight through dusk to dark and was truly enchanted by the scale and beauty of his work. Far from competing with the gardens, there was a synergy, they complimented the plantings, giving depth and drawing the eye more closely to surrounding foliage. That night I knew the direction I wanted to go with clay – I wanted to make flower sculptures for gardens and I have been doing just that ever since!
Flowers are by nature, seasonal things and are not in bloom most of the time. We try to get color in our gardens by using plants, which bloom at various times. Still there are many times when we are just looking at greenery. My flowers are happy, bright and sunny and permanently in bloom. They can add color and focus to areas. Many of them will hold water and provide mini birdbaths.
As well as flowers, I make other garden sculptures, mushrooms, birdhouses etc. but my first love is the flowers, which continue to evolve. Many people like to display them indoors, mounting them on a wall or small base, or putting them in a vase. They are as versatile as the real thing but will last a lot longer!
I recently learned how to color porcelain make clay murinis. This is an old technique originally used in glass making. Blocks of colored porcelain are stuck together with slips and arranged to form a pattern. This block can then be sliced and cut into various shapes. Since the color is in the clay body itself, only a clear finishing glaze is required and intricate and delicate patterns can be made.
Because of the fine detail, this technique really lends itself to jewelry making and I have had a lot of fun making a variety of pins, necklaces and earrings.