Born: 28 March 1946

Education: Meramec Jr. College - St. Louis, MO - two years
Illinois State University - Normal, IL - three years

Gallery:
Componere Gallery, St. Louis, MO

The Process:
A pinched ceramic vessel is a process in which the pinching is done with thumb and fingers working around a ball of clay, working it from inside out, and around and around (as thin as one dares) into the basic desired shape.
My shapes are round bottomed and smooth. Textures often occurring naturally are enhanced with line drawings and carvings to define the bowl forms.
My surfaces are often reflective but I use no slips or glazes. To make my vessels shine, I first scrape the surface with a thin bladed knife, then smooth inside and outside with a very smooth stone. Ancient societies perfected this method we now refer to as being stone burnished.
I burnish two or three times inside the vessel and five or six times on the exterior wall, depending on what is required of the finished piece. The sixth burnishing is done when the work is completely dry and in its most fragile state.
The second to last step is a bisque firing at the very low temperature of 1450 to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit.
The final process is a sawdust and charcoal "pit firing" which achieves the rich dark and warm light earth colors of my works.

Partial list of Juried Shows and Awards:
Componere Gallery - Ancient Releases, '97
Componere Gallery - Nature's Realm, '95
Fontbonne College Ceramics Invitational - St. Louis, MO, '95
Componere Gallery - Of The Earth, Habitats & Vessels, '94
Componere Gallery - Two Person Show, Paint & Clay, '93
St. Louis Artists' Guild - St. Louis, MO Mr. & Mrs. Millstone Award, '92 Merit Award, '87
Columbia Art League, Columbia, MO First Place, '91 & $1,800 Purchase Award, Second Place, '89
Art At The Station, First Place, '90
Art Happening at Queeny Park, Second Place, '92, First Place, '90, '91
An Art Affair, Award of Excellence, '89, '90, '91, '92
Spring Festival at Queeny Park, First Place, '89, '90, '93
Fairview Heights Annual Salute to the Masters, Honorable Mention, '91, First Place, '90, Honorable Mention, '89, Second Place, '88
Vivian Becker Gallery - St. Louis, MO Three Person Show, '88
Missouri State Fair Professional, '87
Garret Gallery, St. Louis, MO - '86, '87, First Place, '89, Honorable Mention, '90
Latzer Gallery, St. Louis, MO - Two Person Show, '87
Grand Gallery, Group Show, '86, '87
Florissant Civic Center, Two Person Show, '86
St. Louis Artists Festival Fair, Third Place, '86
St. Louis Artists Festival, Two Person Invitational, '86
Hickory Street Gallery, St. Louis, MO - Juried, '86
New Arts Gallery, St. Louis, MO - Invitational, '86
Contemporary Crafts, St. Louis, MO - Invitational, '86, Three Person Show, '84
39th Street Gallery, Group '85, One Person, '86
Latzer Gallery, St. Louis, MO - Three Person Show, '85
St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO - Group Show, '85
Auden Gallery, St. Louis, MO - Group Show, '85
Columbia Art League, Columbia, MO - Three Person, '85
Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis, MO - Third Place,'84, First Place, '85
Mary Institute, Ladue, MO - Two Person Show and Lecture, '84

Lectures and Demonstrations:
Meramec Jr. College, St. Louis, MO - '82-'93 (ongoing)
Belleville Jr. College, Belleville, IL - four times, '82-'91
Webster University, St. Louis, MO - two times, '91
Principia Prep. School, St. Louis, MO - '85-'92