William James

As a child I was always interested in science and nature.  I was a collector of rocks and insects.  At the library, I would gravitate to books about animals and, after watching Jacques Cousteau, submarines.

My artistic inclinations were awakened through volunteer work at my son’s school.  In teaching about the lives of artists, I saw common themes of innovation, discovery, and risk taking.  These are also the themes of success in science and technology.  In some senses,
art has become a new way for me to explore the world.

My recent work was inspired by a fossil hunting trip near Delta, Utah.  In the midst of the desert, you can pry open rocks to uncover fossils of sea creatures that have been hidden there for over 250 million years.  My “Fossils of Utah” collection attempts to recreate the awe of finding these fossils.  I am populating thrown plates, vases, and bowls with the forms
of fossils.