Balancing tradition with a contemporary approach is crucial to me. My choice of material and forms are fairly traditional, so that I remain part of clay’s long heritage. The way I touch clay references 400-year-old Japanese teaware, yet in my drawing I reference cartoons and Western children’s literature. My glazing is also contemporary, using asymmetrical compositions to help create narratives. I regard color as a physical manifestation of emotion and thought. A sprinkle of pink glaze dots may indicate elation, or one green dot may be shorthand for a traffic signal giving the signal to move forward.