Clay

This collection is very close to my heart. The last few years has brought many great losses to our family. From my father, sister, grandmother and beloved pet. With these losses came a collection of urns that sat on a shelf collecting dust. The urns felt sad and didn’t bring me any joy. They didn’t remind me of the once dynamic person or pet inside. One day after rearranging the urns I was struck with an idea that would transform my memories into an artwork that my family and I would enjoy and cherish for years to come.

At this point in my career I had been working with clay plaster, earth pigments, plant material and soil for many years. The thought arose that I could incorporate my loved ones ashes into the clay plaster and create a one of a kind artwork that grace my walls, reminding me of that special love.

The first piece I created was in memory of my sweet Weimaraner, Pearl. She was 8 weeks old when I got her and we spent more than a decade together camping, hiking, cuddling and traveling. I was devastated when she passed unexpectedly in an accident. Having her urn on a shelf for another decade made me feel empty, sad and guilty. I felt I wasn’t honoring her memory or spirit and wanted to set her free. When I created her piece it was important to me use the colors and aura of our favorite Portland hiking trail. I incorporated soil from the exact trail where we once stepped. Earth pigments that were based on her coat color as well as surrounding flora and fauna. One of the most interesting parts of this piece is that the bone contained in the ash really shows against the porcelain colored clay and earth pigments. This has become one of the most treasured art works in my home. It takes me back to a special time in my life with Pearl in Portland walking along the wooded path in the fog.

In these pieces I try to include as many memories and feeling of the loved one as I can. For instance when my step father was alive he had once broken his arm and had to have screws and pins inserted into his bones. When we received his ashes back they included a bag containing those screws and pins. I incorporated these chunks of metal in the art piece as a memory of that time in our lives.

QUOTE: Ashes to ashes dust to dust. back to the earth embedded In the earth. as above so below.

As clay is part of the earth so are cremains.

I wish you could see these up works up close. The sparkle in the clay, the opaque bone against the pigmented colors. Every detail I add relates to a feeling or memory. Those memories once lost appear again in the pressed plant material, tree bark, soils or sand taken from the loved ones life and memory. The possibility are quite endless. What are your memories of your loved one, what can we add from their lives, their memory?

Music is a crucial part of my process.  By listening to the music the subject loved helps me understand them and I put that energy into my work. The movement of the clay on the canvas, the colors that layer upon each other and detail that add context. In this work I try to capture the essence of the subject, their spirit and the complexity of their lives and relationships. Join me on this journey of preservation, love, memorialization through art.

Commissions open. Please contact me for more information.