I search for beauty in the natural world and in found objects. My ceramic work is a reflection of an ongoing exploration of the complex relationships between Nature and the urban environments in which we live. My art captures what I find and feel in the wilderness and represents an attempt to reconcile these “elemental” experiences with the reality of living in a manufactured world. Studying at Sheridan College has given me new tools to use in my explorations--advanced techniques in slipcasting and mold making--which I now use to take castings of trees and rocks. By modifying these natural objects and playing with volume, scale, colour and texture, my ceramic work represents a search for greater harmony in our urban lives. I am also drawn to the less tangible forms of interaction between natural forces and human activity. Found objects, like the twisted metal that glows from the patina of rust, are the result of our manipulation of natural resources. These objects do not only carry the imprint of human ingenuity, but they also symbolize the “throw away” excesses of our society. Nature struggles to keep up but eventually reclaims the products and waste of our activities through erosion from wind, water and rust. As a child growing up in the dramatic landscape of southwestern Alberta, where the majestic mountains meet the vast prairies, and now exploring the rivers and lakes of tahe Canadian Shield, I have always been aware of the enduring value of our land and our precarious place in it. It is this connection that is a constant reference point for my work.