Most of the vases I have made over the years fall under the "Coral Vessel" heading. Adding ridges or ripples gives a sense of motion to a piece, similar to shifting sands or wavy corals. I strive to achieve that effect in these vases, not only on the sides but right up through opening at the top.

The images at left and immediately below are representative examples of my coral designs, but there are more to see under the subheading "Coral Vessels."

I have always taken an experimental approach to clay, so my vase forms are not limited to the ones shown above. I've designed some "rock layer" vessels, and the piece at left is an example. I've created some others that I refer to as "weathered sandstone" due to their appearance of eroded rock formations.

Most of my vases are constructed from coils, but I sometimes begin with a molded base. A simple terracotta flowerpot works well for this purpose, and I have an assortment of them in different sizes.

I can add or subtract from the basic vase form by attaching fins, or by carving and piercing the clay as you can see in the image at left.

With clay, the possibilities seem endless, so I keep on trying out new ideas while expanding on old ones. Even my coral vases have evolved over the years.

In another series, I have my "patchwork" vases built from small textured slabs that are overlapped and joined together. I like to enhance the texture with a dark stain or glaze (image at left). More pieces from this series can be seen under the subheading to the left.