About

A little bit about the author of this blog:

I grew up under the wide-open skies of North Dakota.   As a child, I loved to visit my Grandpa’s farm, where my sisters and cousins and I would spend almost all day outside.  We would ride horses (Shirley and Pokey, who was aptly named), make forts in the tall grass, and play in the barn on the old rope swing and hay bales while pretending to ignore the scary owl who called that big, red barn his home.  I feel blessed to have had such a happy, carefree childhood, and I’m certain that my experiences as a little girl are what instilled a love for nature and the unique landscape of the plains deep within my heart.

I spent the first 26 years of my life living in eastern North Dakota, but after graduating from North Dakota State University in 2007 with a degree in Art and English, I was ready for a change.  I fumbled around for a little bit, spending time as a member of a construction crew, building houses and pole barns 15 miles east of the ND/Montana border.  It’s a time I’ll never forget!  I learned a lot… from how to run a trackhoe, to how to frame a house, to how to shingle and a few other things I won’t mention here… I was the only female on the crew; let’s leave it at that.  🙂  Really, though, the guys were great, and in all it was the best job I’d ever had.

In 2008 I was a work-study student at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina for three months, where my days consisted mainly of washing dishes and making pots.  I loved it, and the experience led me to pursue my MFA in ceramics at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.  During my third and final year of school, I was able to spend a semester at the International Ceramics Studio in Kecskemét, Hungary, as an International Student Resident.  A wonderful experience there led me to pursue other residencies, and after graduating from UMassD (May 2012), I was an Artist-in-Residence at Guldagergaard, an international ceramics research center in Denmark.  From 2012-2014 I was the Artist-in-Residence/Education Coordinator at RDG Dahlquist Art Studio in Des Moines, Iowa.  I’m currently an independent artist and educator. Thanks for visiting!

This is me!

Photo by Jen Kill