Biography
Some 40 years ago while living in Indianapolis, I took a free introductory 6 lesson pottery wheel throwing class. I was hooked. I bought a wheel and started assembling studio assets building my own studio within two years. I continued honing my abilities when I could during a 35 year career in the computing industry and raising a family.
Moving to Portland in 1996, I built my current studio in the backyard. Upon retirement I was offered a ceramic teaching position at Oregon Episcopal School. I taught high school structural and wheel skills for 11 years retiring in 2024.
Artist Statement
My original goal with ceramics was to become a production potter. I work relentlessly at producing production ware. I got very good at selecting shapes and producing limitless copies. What I discovered was a proficiency that bored me. I decided at that moment that computers would be my source of income and ceramics would be my passion, a passion that would approach every piece as an individual work.
Why "Doghouse"?
I have maintained a studio for almost 45 years. Clay became my mistress! With the demands of building a careers in a two professional household, raising two children and the day to day demands of maintaining a home, I often found myself in the proverbial ‘doghouse’ for spending too much time on my passion versus parenting, home maintenance and career.
‘I’m going to the studio to load a kiln’, ‘I’ve got work in the studio that needs attention’, ‘I promised some cups to so and so’. ‘Don’t spend too much time there or you’ll find yourself in the doghouse!’ became my wife’s standard reply. After all these years the name stuck.
