I make functional service ware for home and professional kitchens, and a decorative line of carved and sculpted vessels dubbed the "Vincent Series" as the textures and designs are inspired by Van Gogh's impasto techniques.

I have been a full time potter in the River Arts District on and off for almost 18 years. For the last 14+ years, I am a founding member of The Village Potters Clay Center, and in addition to my studio in that facility, that housed my only gallery space carrying my functional and decorative works, I also own and operate a small production studio for Crazy Green Studios that was also located on the ground floor of Riverview Station in the River Arts District. Both studio spaces were destroyed when Hurricane Helene brought the French Broad River out of its banks to over 25' and filling the first floor and parts of the second floor for more than 70 hours.

That was a painfully long sentence but it's easier to just get it all out.

In my production studio, my four part-time artist assistants and I design and create service ware and accessories for restaurants, including the darling 'lucky three-legged pig' toothpick holders for Asheville's Cúrate restaurant. We could not anticipate the impact of the hurricane (1000 year storm!) or the intensity of the rains that preceded it - we were able to get our wheels to the second floor, with a handful of works in progress, but all other studio furniture, materials, tools, and equipment were lost. We will try to salvage the kiln, but that process is slow and long, so whenever we do find a new studio home, we will be rebuilding everything.

The Village Potters Clay Center is also fundraising for a rebuild, and I look forward to having a studio again. That wheel was also salvaged, although to a part of the second floor that took on more water. Hopefully it will be saved, but I will again be replacing the rest of my studio equipment, furniture, materials, and tools.

Autumn through the holiday season is the busiest season in the River Arts District, and normally helps sustain us through the slower early months of the new year. So while I am raising funds toward the rebuild of our production studio, the monies raised will also help sustain me through this season as well as portions that will be distributed to my assistants. Right now, however, we are still cleaning what bits we have salvaged, and the region as a whole is still in recovery mode. There is still much to process, mourn, and then we will heal and rebuild.

There have been so many incredible people offering so much support, and every kind word is felt as deeply as every donation. Grief and Gratitude are my daily companions, but it is the kindnesses that I will carry with me from this experience most of all.

Ways you can support us: Crazy Green Studios GoFundMe or my personal Venmo. You can view my Flameware creations on my website and contact me to pre-order items when I am able to get back into production.