Preschool was for creating collages, playing with crayons, and making messes. During annual family visits to Chicago, especially as a little kid, I waited for breakfast by playing with polymer clays. I made teeny tiny colorful animals, each barely the size of the thumb tip. Eventually, my mom put me in a wheel throwing class after I begged repeatedly to learn how to use “real clay” (as I thought of it then). In these classes, I finally worked with water-based clay. The first time I took this class I was 10, and little did I know what a large part of my future clay would become.  By the time I hit high school, I already knew I would go to college for Art. Freshman year of high school I had to pick a college to do a presentation on. Can you believe I did that presentation on California College of the Arts ceramics program?  Years later, I ended up applying to one school - California College of the Arts, then attending and double majored in Ceramics and Glass. I make Interactive art, particularly for kids - that looks just like all the toys we know and love - except they are made of ceramic and glass.

Summer of 2022, I went on an artist residency at Watershed in Maine. I met artists from around the world and made many new friends who also love ceramics. Most exciting was trying techniques for firing ceramics that I have been wanting to learn since I started working in clay. Continuing to learn and try new things is one of the best things about being an artist.

Now I’m lucky enough to have ended up working at Public Glass in San Francisco where I teach. It is an amazing studio that focus on being a public community space where anyone can learn a wide range of glass techniques. I’m so glad I get the opportunity to teach many different glass classes including my favorite class - glass casting. Glass casting is not usually offered at most glass studios since it is a long, difficult (but rewarding) process. The times I’m not found at Public Glass, I’m teaching Martial Arts at a local studio or team sports at Decathlon Sports Camp (during the summer).