I have always been fascinated with both animals and art. In the fifth grade I impressed the teacher by building a 15-inch high, papier-mache elephant, which I painted sky blue. For a long time, I dreamed of being a political cartoonist. When I fell in love with clay, I became a cartoonist in three dimensions.

I grew up in suburban Northern Virginia, majoring in printmaking at Virginia Commonwealth University (BFA, 1974). An accidental ceramics class in my senior year turned me forever on to clay. I kept hanging around, building more and more stuff, until I ended up in the VCU graduate program ( MFA, 1983).

After almost 14 years as a corporate graphic artist, I went into ceramics full-time. My studio is a former one-car garage behind my 1925 house.

The Idea For Pogs
Amidst the angst of youth and college, I found myself making doodles of wild, ferocious-looking creatures—somewhat wolf-like, somewhat lumpy. These doodles usually became etchings, but I turned to them when I needed a subject for clay sculpture. The department had just bought a slab roller—the key for me in constructing figures from my doodles. There’s something intrinsically easy-going about clay though, and the critters came out very funny. They have continued to mellow over the years, but remain as gleeful as ever. Dance, The Muppets, Jackie Gleason, Red Skelton, and James Thurber are strong influenceson my work.

As for the name, I kept getting the question, "What are they?" Not pigs (the ears), not dogs (the snouts were longer back then), well . . . must be Pogs. That’s their “handle.”

Pogs are made by my hand, from clay slabs and extruded forms. I use some press molds for basic shapes, but nothing is cast. For this reason, over the years the figures have morphed in size, color, and shape—but not in mood. They are bisque-fired in an electric kiln, then raku-fired outdoors. Afterwards, they need lots of scrubbing. The pogs are all about movement, life, liveliness, and a trace of greed. They are for adults of all ages.

I usually participate in two retail shows in Richmond, VA: the 43rd Street Festival, the second Saturday after Labor Day (804-233-1758); and the Gallery Show at the Unitarian Church in October (804-355-0777). Other than at these two shows, I sell only through retailers. Please check the Where To Buy page to contact a dealer near you.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoy my Pogs!