A Glimpse Into the Artist

At a young age, I enjoyed playing in the mud after a fresh rain. I would create small trinkets and toys from rubbish and scraps and weave grass from the field nearby into makeshift bowls and rope. I loved taking the nature around me and reusing the treasures that others deemed unusable to make something anew and explore my world.

As I got older and into school, like every child I took art courses. Being able to draw the ideas in my head and turn them into a reality was liberating. However, once I became a high school student,  I created less but the passion for drawing never left me.  It just seemed as if something was always missing.

Once I began college my life changed. I had taken many of my general education courses during high school so I had to choose a major and fast. During my second semester I took a variety of courses in different fields to ‘test the waters’ so to speak. One of these courses was Intro to Drawing, and it all seemed to click into place. Originally, I had chosen to major in Graphic Design, but as I took more and more art courses that allowed me to work with physical medias, I knew I needed to make a change. It was not until 2019, when I took Ceramics 1 for the first time that I changed my major to Fine Arts with an emphasis in sculpture and ceramics. With each passing semester, I was able to explore several different fine arts techniques amongst these two mediums which broadened my knowledge of both sculpture and ceramics.

Working with ceramics felt very familiar to me. Maybe it was a calling back to my childhood that was once filled with building cities and mud pies in the backyard.  All I know for sure is that it was such an exciting experience to have not only a familiarity but also a confidence to learn and create more art throughout my academic career.

After graduating college, I kept up making ceramics. Purchasing Kilns, a potter’s wheel, and my own materials gave me the ability to continue creating while working a full-time job, and it was a journey but well worth the experience. Slowly a studio formed in my garage—giving birth to the GarageArtStudios!

Knowing I am working with a medium that can be reclaimed on mishaps, the scraps recycled is a welcoming fact. Being able to make a one-of-a-kind, functional piece for someone to love and take home is extremely fulfilling. What is art if not for someone to be able to touch, hold, and use in their life. Nothing brings me more joy than seeing someone walk away happy with a new piece of pottery to warm their lives!