Animals are alive. That's really it. Over the years I've made a raku tiger, a raku elephant, naked raku gazelle horns, duck sculptures, a dove, a hummingbird, a whale whistle, and a frog on a lily pad. Each one came from somewhere specific. A place, a moment, an obsession. Some have photographs. Some don't. All of them have a story.

Despite the 110+ degree summer heat here in Phoenix, my studio has been buzzing with energy, ideas, and clay-covered hands. What began as a simple experiment with four wheel-thrown, donut-shaped forms quickly turned into a deeper exploration of shape, meaning, and story.