When I started working in clay, I studied pottery and spent my time making clay objects on the wheel for everyday use. After many years as a studio potter, I decided to return to school to get my Masters in Art Education. For the next ten years I put my studio practice on hold while I pursued my degree and teaching career.
When I returned to a regular studio practice, I did not want to go back to only making pots. The hardest part was making decisions about what to work on. I had notebooks and sketchpads filled with ideas. Now that I had the time, I found it difficult to make choices about what I was going to focus on and what I was going to put aside. It took about a year to sort itself out. Working on assemblages and creating sculptures based on natural forms started to take precedent over my other artistic pursuits. Being unable to work on something after a long break is not uncommon. If this happens to you, just remember to stick with it. Things worth doing take time.
The process of choosing direction led me to the concept and the inspiration for my installation, what we hold close/ what we let go