Artist Statement

I am a native of Michigan and have always enjoyed the natural beauty of the woods and waters of my home state. Some of my earliest memories are of the beaches and waves of Lake Michigan, and I try to capture the serenity of the lakes in my glaze patterns.

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After attending Art School at the University of Michigan, I moved to the mid- Michigan area and worked in ceramics with the late Nancy Fox at the Montcalm Community College. Her encouragement led me to open my own studio, Zakala Pottery, in 1979. During that time Zakala Pottery was shown and sold in 60 galleries and gift stores across the United States, as well as exhibited in numerous Art Fairs across Michigan, Ohio, and Florida.

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I scaled back my pottery work when my children were young, and I also continued my formal education at Central Michigan University. My art teaching career began in 1997, and I subsequently completed a Master’s degree in Middle Level Education. I taught the Middle School Art program for Alma Public Schools in Alma, Michigan since 1999. In summer, 2016, I retired from teaching, and now enjoy working in my studio and teaching pottery at Alma Community Art Center.

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I continue to blend aesthetic beauty with the everyday function of the stoneware pieces I create. My glazing has now evolved to show the undersea beauty of the Hawaiian Islands.

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You can find my work exhibited at a few select art fairs during the summer, and also in several galleries throughout Michigan.