As a native Arizonian, growing up in the southwest has given me a desert aesthetic. This includes an emphasis on subtle earth colors, simplicity of form and a heavy focus on texture and material. Consequently, I choose to work with ceramic and metal and tend to be minimal when it comes to adding embellishments. My work has a strong figurative focus because I have always enjoyed the company of other people and have been fascinated by how people interact with each other. I try to distill the human form down only using the elements that I feel relate to my statement. Then I encourage viewers to relate my work to themselves and to add their own personal dialogue and narrative to the piece....