Having spent my entire life on the Gulf Coast, one of the biggest influences on my work has come to be my love for nature, marine life, and the nuances that come with it all. I began my career in the late 70‘s with a degree in Art Education from Jackson State University. Initially my goal was to teach, but as I got deeper into it, I began to delve more into the creative side of it. Early on, my concentration was in painting but as I moved forward with my craft, that concentration shifted more toward pottery and that eventually became my primary area. I have often been asked to label my art within a certain genre, but I really can’t put myself in a box and say I do “afro-centric”, “Indian”, “european” style work. It’s work from an American artist who happens to be Black. Each piece is unique and original. Each pot has its own individual story and identity. I believe the beauty of that is that when I am creating the pieces, I am instilling my own story into each pot but the translation of that story will be different for everyone who looks at that particular piece. That is the difference between true art and the commercial “cookie cutter” pots that are out there. True art will move you in some kind of way. Whether you are the artist or an art lover, it will resonate in you some kind of way. My work tells the story of years of experiences both personally and professionally. Having done a tour of duty in the Vietnam war, I found myself needing an avenue of relief. I found that relief in my art. In the beginning it was my own personal therapy, then it blossomed into much more.