I am always intrigued by what we remember from our childhood and how those memories impact our adulthood.  For myself, I have one particularly vivid memory which I feel laid the initial groundwork for where I am today.  I was only about four or five at the time when I got into trouble for talking back to my parents.  This in of itself was nothing new since I was by all accounts a feisty and tenacious little girl.  My nickname was Motor-Mouth and being sent to my bedroom in order to “think about my actions” was a common occurrence.  However, this time something was different.  I decided enough was enough and made the decision to run away from home. 

As young as I was, I knew the only way I could make it on my own was to find a means to support myself.  It was at that time that I had an epiphany of sorts: I would sell my art — which in those days consisted of wooded building blocks with magic marker drawings—on street corners.  Luckily the heat of the moment ended up dissipating enough that I never did end up running away from home.  But as I look back upon this incredibly vivid memory I truly feel it was a defining moment for my soul.  At that young age, I instinctively knew that art would be a way of life for me.

My hand-built face sculptures are a direct result of my goal to never dwell upon the negative.  I inject humor and whimsy into each day in order to focus my energies upon the lighter side of life.  I use the human face as the vehicle to achieve this goal as I am endlessly fascinated by the idiosyncrasies of each person’s face. 

In seeking out the initial ideas for my faces, I find that I am equally drawn to the unusually shaped face of a person with a cleft palette or a burn victim as I am with the face of a classically beautiful model.  In any form, the human face offers a wealth of information.  The depths of ones life experiences are forever etched onto the face.  With careful observation, vast amounts of information can be gained simply by studying ones face.  The unsaid is loudly spoken with careful observation. 

For me, I need no other source for artistic inspiration.  The face is endlessly intriguing, forever questioning and always stimulating.  I examine each wrinkle and each facial expression in an attempt to piece together that person’s life.  The eyes speak volumes about ones immediate thoughts and feelings, while the lips and mouth portray the urgency of the moment.  Noses are the anchor of the face while the hair is ones outward expression of that particular individuals’ current state of mind.  The character of the individual, as well as their goals and motivations can often be assessed by viewing the face with completely opened eyes.  Eyes which search beneath the superficial and are patient and inquisitive enough to piece together these various nuisances can successfully gain an intimate understanding of the individual.  To me, the face is truly the ultimate speaker of truth.

In my work, my goal is to bring attention to these subtle nuisances through the use of exaggerated facial features placed upon a face lacking dimensionality.  Aside from the facial features themselves, I create additional dimensionality through the addition of wild hair and/or funky hats.  I generate ideas for those whimsical elements after reading children’s books filled with quirky characters as well as from studying the fanciful costumes found in elaborate theater and circus productions. 

When I begin a new piece, I have a basic vision in my head of what I want to create.  I generally do not make a sketch, have a model or develop any type of formal plan regarding the structure of the piece.  Instead I prefer to let the piece evolve from the basic inspiration I have in my mind.  I allow the piece to develop intuitively and to take on its own form.  Herein lays the true beauty:  clay becomes the outward expression of my minds inner workings.  When I rest my mind and shut out the real-world I do my best work.  My mind is free to explore and I am merely along for the ride.

Each face I make is one of a kind and completely hand-built with either low-fire earthenware or high-fire stoneware clays, depending upon the application.  The essential elements I include in each piece are humor, personality and whimsy.  I finish my work with one of two different methods: underglaze and glaze (applied in 3-5 coats) or with the application of paint.  The finishing technique varies depending upon the vibrancy and color energy I am striving for.  Regardless of how I finish each piece, the sole objective I have with my art never changes:  A desire to bring joy, smiles and laughter to all who view it.  It is my hope that when viewing my work, you too will focus on the lighter side of life.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       - MIC