This piece was part of my 2026 show titled, Verrucas’s Daughter, at The Arts Center in Corvallis, OR. The theme of the show was to ask if in the present moment, must every work be a deeply meaningful commentary on the world, or is it enough if it simply makes the viewer smile for a moment? In this particular piece, one creature says “ Together we can be happier”, and her snake friend responds, “even when we are different”. It is meaningful and silly, much like me!

I handbuilt We Make Things Better using a pale stoneware. After forming the creature and her companion, I handpainted both with colorful underglaze and bisque fired. I then applied both clear and colored glazes to create different effects followed by firing to cone 6. Once she was cooled, I added 22k gold luster to the horns and necklace, followed by a third and final firing.

This piece is approximately 7” x 5” 7.5”.