When the idea for this sculpture came to me it appeared to be lighthearted. ”Southward Ho” depicts four birds winging enthusiastically and joyfully towards their goal of the South. Each bird is headed in a different direction, though, so only one was going the right way. But as I worked on this piece it took on a more serious tone for me. I realized that all four birds heading in four different directions reminded me of people today. Each person, each group thinks that it is on the correct course, but all of them can’t be right. Who determines what the correct course or goal is anyway? This piece shows my love of nature and how it inspires me. This sculpture combines thrown forms, slabs, and many handworked details. It features the decorative techniques of stamping, lavage, piercing, slip trailing, and drawing and carving into the clay. I like to use one primary translucent glaze color to unify the whole, and so that the details are not obscured by too heavy a glaze.