I started selling my work through my ceramic art business, affectionately called “Cabyn Fever”, about five years ago when I moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa! I really got off the ground during my ceramics residency at the Iowa Ceramics Center during 2019 through 2020. Now I have a home studio in Cedar Rapids where I hand build, wheel throw, glaze, fire in my electric kiln, photograph, etc! I also have some assistance from my wonderfully helpful husband and my loyal studio manager dog.

A lot of my ideas come from experimenting with color and composition. I specifically love using design elements that are inspired by the natural world, as well as incorporating some abstract style and pattern. When designing and doing surface decoration I try to work from an intuitive subconscious level, and do what feels right in the moment. I would describe my style as clean and smooth ceramic forms with crisp nature and feminine craft inspired surface decoration. I gravitate towards making functional work (ranging from planters, ring dishes, travel cups, jars, etc.) and then decorate these items with themes of leaves, stars, words, various organic shapes, and geometric quilt inspired designs. I create this work simply because I enjoy creating it, and also in the hope that it brings mindfulness, beauty, and pause to the everyday lives of others. I hope that incorporating my work into daily routines can bring people a small moment of joy even if other aspects of their lives or the world feel heavy and insurmountable.

I use wheel throwing to make most of my work, though I do use slab building to make small dishes and plates. All of my work starts as raw clay and ends up as glazed fired pieces - I do all the steps from beginning to end in the production process. Some of my surface designs are hand carved, especially the star elements and small earrings. Because of some chronic joint issues, I’ve also been exploring how to make my designs more accessible by drawing digitally and then using a Cricut to make stencils. The stencils allow me to decorate with less strain to my hands and wrists compared to more traditional methods of freehand painting with the underglaze. 

All of my work is microwave and dishwasher safe, though hand washing is recommended as it is more gentle!

You can find my work online here, local markets throughout the year, as well as Eastern Iowa businesses such as Moss, Kismet Coffee and Bloom, and Abbe Creek Gallery, in addition to the Familiar Cat Cafe. Follow along for updates on my website and social media (@cabynfever on Instagram and Bluesky).