Animals

I started sculpting small animals. I began with a small closed form, added legs and head and let the form and my imagination go. The first attempt led to an elephant. Then approaching clay the same way I have created other animals. I began to see that most vertebrates have the same basic sculptural features, i.e. eyebrows, shoulders, hips, etc. You could say that all my animals still start elephants!

I raku fire in my driveway and use the dry leaves of mostly beech (found in the wooded area around my studio) in the reduction chamber. Wood and soda firings are done as part of a potters' consortium.

I start my sculpted animals with a block of clay and an idea of size and proportion. No molds are used. The animals are then air dried, bisque fired, glazed (for raku firing), and then raku or soda/wood fired. With the vast number of variables no animals are ever the same.

If you find something you like in this gallery I will be happy to e-mail you pictures of what is available or you can commission your preferred animal (See: Buying and Ordering).

(Click image to enlarge)