Starting around 2006 when living in Ribera New Mexico, I began collecting old objects, mostly metal, that were lying around the landscape and constructing assemblages. Drawing on years of working with clay I incorporate clay shapes with the metal, adding color and interest. I try to remain open to the possibilities of each thing I come across. From the heap of collected stuff I make a selection that combines with the clay pieces into a satisfying whole. Each completed piece is different and is partially determined by the nature of the "find." The process is a partnership between the elements chosen and what I bring to it. Some pieces fall into place with startling ease, and others need considerable fiddling and reworking. I find beauty in each of the found objects and delight in the contrasts and harmonies between them and the clay. I love the juxtaposition of deteriorating materials that are being eaten away by time and weather, and the seed-like new life of the clay forms. The work I am doing now continues the process begun in New Mexico, although now that I have returned to my native Vermont they have changed slightly. Some of the current pieces are smaller, and most of them have a background that I paint on aluminum flashing. The joining of elements is done with wire.
