In making a conscious decision to work with clay I have chosen a wonderfully versatile medium. Its ability to retain the actions of both the hand and the tool has given this deceptively simple material a rich and emotional history. The making of marks directly into the clay surface has always been a strong element of the ceramic design process.

Along with the ability to tear and distort clay slabs, I have been experimenting with rolling various materials directly into the clay surface. In the Collar Study Series, various garments of clothing have been rolled into the leather hard clay sheets. Within any theme, it is helpful to produce a related series and this creates space for the works to feed off each other.