I am a potter. My pottery is made using a combination of a potter's wheel and hand-building or sculpting. My pieces begin with a practical purpose and then images and small sculptures are integrated into the design. My focus is on animals and plants and their relationship to the environment. We see the grace of the blue heron, but we also need to remember the wetlands, rivers, fish, and frogs that support herons as well as the plants and insects that support the heron's food source. We cannot have one without the other. The raised texture on the jar is made with a technique called washing. The lower relief areas are washed away with a sponge. It seemed an appropriate technique to use for a piece based on aquatic life. The potter's craft is an ancient one with practical purpose. Its materials come from the earth. It seems appropriate to use this material to remind the viewer of the importance of the environment we live in through delighting them as they see my pottery.