My favorite time of the year is the two-week period in the fall when the leaves turn color, the colors created are the basis of my glaze palate. I will use up to eight glazes on a single vessel to cause one color to blend into the next. I am also influenced by the historical nature of the town nearest to my home, Dubuque, Iowa. It is the oldest town in Iowa and the architecture of the city and farms that surround it are the framework for many of my pieces. The character of the oldest portions of Dubuque and the old dilapidated structures on local farms are constantly in my mind.
Because of my connection to the world around me growing up, I feel I am an observer in this world more than a participant. The work I create is my representation of what I see on an everyday basis. The character of the architecture in the cityscape, the objects that make up the landscape of the rural countryside, and the unsightly advertisements that both cover-up and create our landscape, these are some of the images I utilize for my work.