I loved science from my earliest memory - inspired by the portrait of one of my ancestors, a Victorian chemist and inventor, who developed steel casting methods using ceramic molds. I first got my hands in clay in my one and only art class in high school.  Over the years I learned many techniques through books, videos and workshops in LA, London, Washington DC, Cincinnati, Strasbourg and the Dordogne in France.  As the challenges of my scientific career increased, I had to take a break from pottery for about 10 years.  But now I am back combining wheel thrown and hand built forms finished with primitive firing techniques.  Each pot is unique, the surprising results of an experiment in which fire and smoke magically combine clay with other materials surrounding the pot.