My ceramic tiles are comprised of impressions from nature. The designs on the tiles are often organic, sometimes flowing off the tile. I paint the grasses or flowers in colors that are not necessarily true to their natural color but rather colors that remind me of a time in the past. The paints are bled in or smeared, creating a sort of fuzzy memory of the natural beauty of Massachusetts.

After firing the tiles 2-3 times in my kiln, I then grout them into "upcycled" wooden frames. Upcycling was a term coined by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, authors of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. Upcycling is essentially the practice of making one man's trash into another man's treasure. For example, a batch of my frames were fashioned from an old New Bedford bedroom door by a local woodworker. Reusing this waste and upcycling it into something beautiful coincides with my ideas on sustainability. I take from my community what they do not need and give back something with grace and function.

My studio is located at 419 Sawyer Street and is open by appointment only. Tiled mirrors can be purchased directly off of my new Etsy website at www.rootedreflections.etsy.com.