Interview by Sarah Stebbins
Photos by Tara Rice
From the Fall 2023 issue of Maine Homes by Down East
In my spare time, I…
quilt. I taught myself as a kid [in Houston], and picked it back up during the pandemic, when I made this quilt with scraps from a sewing workshop I taught at MIT. I make one or two quilts a year, usually for friends. A handmade gift is my love language. It’s how I say, ‘I really care about you.’
An artist I admire is…
French printmaker Virginie Morgand. I like the vibrant colors in this print; I share a similar color sense in my work. And I love the feeling it elicits of floating in water. I live on [Bremen’s] McCurdy Pond and swim there or at Pemaquid Beach [in Bristol] almost daily from late spring to early fall.
I started making pottery…
while getting a PhD in mechanical engineering at MIT. Eventually, I was thinking about ceramics more than other things. Mid-century patterns, like those on Hornsea pottery and Marimekko fabric, inspired these shapes. I like that they’re geometric, but not perfect. $50 each.
“When things slow down in winter, my husband and I go antiquing. The Wiscasset Antiques Mall is open year-round. I like the patina on these brass candlesticks we got there, and the beehive-esque appearance.”
I collect…
pitchers. I got this pewter one from MaineBarnSale, in Newcastle, and the glass one from Antiques Etcetera, in Rockland. I’m really drawn to the shapes. I make pitchers, and although these are not styles I emulate, I think it’s interesting to look beyond what you usually reference for inspiration.
A special piece I own is…
a vintage cuckoo-clock face from The Kingfisher & The Queen, in Damariscotta. It reminds me of a Christmas wreath, but we keep it up all year. The wood complements the paneling and trim in our 1940s home, which has a classic Maine-camp interior.
Recently, I purchased…
hand-woven tea towels by [Wiscasset’s] Hilary Crowell that we use as generously sized napkins. They’re practical, as well as beautiful, and I always go for punchy colors. Similar styles, from $40.
