NCECA 2018 was in Pittsburgh, PA. I got to drive down with my clay brothers; we had a blast! I think I spent most of my time watching Kevin Snipes hand build with porcelain. Being an artist of color who was still an outsider for not being "black enough," I related with him the most. Not to mention he likes to inject humor in his work, and HAND BUILDS with PORCELAIN. My clay people understand why that's sort of a big deal (well at least to me it is.)

We saw so many fantastic works, and got to visit the Standard clay facilities! NCECA is always a great time. Here's some highlights!

Guess who made it to the cover of a magazine?! That's me modeling my mug for The Perpetual You, an alternative women's magazine! I had the pleasure of discussing creativity and whimsy as an entrepreneur with TPY. Click here for the interview!

Why am I sharing this super basement-y basement?? Well, this will be my studio space in just 6 weeks! The home we will be moving into is a foreclosure, so it needs a ton-o-work. I am MOST excited about finally having my own studio space! I love my studio mates, but I think it's time I stop hogging all the shelves and spread out in my own digs. Hopefully a kiln can be situated down here :)

Akira commissioned me to make an alternate cover for his EP Autotune + Heart in the blob style I've been doing lately. This was a super fun project; kinda got a glimpse of what an illustration job might look like. Here's to more illustrations!

OH HEY. THERE I AM IN AN ISSUE OF CERAMICS MONTHLY. NO BIG DEAL.

You'll have to excuse my excitement! Amaco was gracious enough to include me in their ad, and interviewed me for their blog! Check it out here! I use Amaco velvet underglazes for all the color in my work and I absolutely love the easy use and smooth results. Hopefully I'll be in Ceramics Monthly again sometime!

Portland was amazeballs. Here's a few moments captured on my trip to PDX. 

Studs! All I can think about lately. They're so darn cute and it's a meditative thing to make in batches, since I make them by the dozens. I've got so many patterns in my brain to try! 

These four plates are on exhibition at the Institute Library's Nasty Woman Art Exhibition. I'm so proud of how they turned out! This is before the gold detail because of course, they went straight from the kiln to the show. Once the show is over I'll be sure to photograph them properly!

The idea behind the series is lesser known women of color who have shaped history, one way or another. I think the least known out of this group is Mary Kenner; she invented sanitary pads amongst other awesome and useful things. This is a series I definitely want to continue beyond this exhibition. Who else should I honor with a portrait on a plate?

I Know it's cheesy to set goals in the new year, but I can't help it! I love the symbolic closure of one chapter and the the beginning of a new one, even if time is a manmade construct and yadda yadda yadda. Despite what the internet says, the new year is a great time to set goals, especially for small businesses. It is my hope that by sharing them with you, these goals may have some sort of concrete presence and I might acheive them with your help! So here they are:

1. Illustrate and self publish a coloring book
For those of you on my newsletter, you already know that I love to send out coloring sheets. It's a fun way for me to say thanks and share a bit of what I love to do. This year I want to take it a step further and put some of the illustrations I do on my pottery and collect them all into one nifty coloring book!

2. Open a web shop on this here site.
It's a lofty goal, but it's at least worth looking into! For now I'll keep chugging along with my etsy shop. Who knows, maybe I'll venture into etsy wholesale and expand my stockist list.

​3. Expand my product line 
I know I've been making lots of cups, mugs, and small trinket dishes, but be on the look out for plates and sets! I'm so excited to start working on them with my GR pottery forms.
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Hopefully 2017 is a funfilled, happy, and successful year for us all!

This is a question I was asked while talking amongst fellow artists at a meeting for organizing a CT Nasty Women Exhibition.

I wasnt sure sure how to answer it at the time, but I thought it was a fantastic question.

After pondering the the question for a few days, I realized the moment that being an "artist" felt most concrete for me. It was when I was applying for my passport in 2015 and they asked for an occupation. I remember my heart fluttering when I wrote "artist" and the immedediate self doubt that came rushing afterwards, realizing I wrote it in pen. Art is such an odd profession in this regard--where we question our validity.

When I was in school it was easy to say I'm an art major. It was a crutch, like dipping my toe without fully committing to the title of "artist," and the possible (and entirely made up in my head) backlash from the public telling me otherwise. As if there's an authoritative crowd out there to tell me I'm not an artist....why do I and so many of my peers feel like that's a thing?

Notice I didn't say the title felt real after graduating with my art degree. It's probably because art school doesn't actually prepare you to be an artist, but rather teaches you how to talk about it, why it matters, and how to technically do it (some art schools don't even do that). Still, it doesn't teach you how to BE it. I think only you can do that.

So to all my artist peers out there, its as easy as taking a deep breath and saying:
"I'm an artist."

And when you meet new people and they ask what do you do, say "I'm an artist." I promise it gets easier the more you do it. You might feel the need to follow up that statement with validations like mentioning your latest exhibit, but fear not! It's not required. Most people respond, "Oh, that's really cool!"

And it is. We're cool people y'all. So here's to being artists, in all our anxiety-filled glory!