I am a painter, potter, papermaker and print maker. I recently retired from the local community college where I was a laboratory technician for 25 years. I am now a full time artist.

I started my artistic training 40 years ago in illustration and ceramics was just an interest. When my husband and I moved to the Mendocino coast in 1975 we were busy building a house and milking goats. I didn’t seriously pursue any art making until I started taking classes at College of the Redwoods and joined a paper making group. I progressed through the stages of paper making, paper hoarding, kite making and finally painting on my hand made paper. I still use my paper for some of my gouache paintings.

About 10 years ago I sat down in one of Bob Zvolensky’s ceramic classes at CR and when my hands touched the mud I felt like I came home. I realized I truly missed working in clay. There’s just something about that wet, plastic stuff that is satisfying. Bob is an excellent instructor and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with him. I still work some out of the college studio through the community education program with Marlene Placido.

I am still painting, and am now working in acrylics as well as watercolor. I think of myself as primarily a potter, but cannot deny the need I have to decorate any flat surface. I started printmaking with Bob Rhoades a few years ago. It was an extremely satisfying experience. I intend to go back and do some more work with Bob. He is the consummate printmaker and I want to drink what I can from that well. I do some silk screening and small format woodblock printing in my own studio but do not have a press.

The studios at home, one graphic/papermaking and the other clay, are small and chock full of projects. The ceramics studio is housed in the old goat room, right next door to the chicken room. We have a gas raku kiln and an electric kiln. My cone 10 stoneware gets fired at the college studio.

I live on a small plot of land north of Fort Bragg, with my husband (another Bob), two cats, a dog, a dozen chickens, a small orchard and large garden.

I am a member of two local cooperatives, Edgewater Gallery and Artist’s Cooperative of Mendocino. I also have my work at the Prentice Gallery and the Mendocino Art Center. I do invite commissions and visits to the studios.

Contact: schom@mcn.org

Artist's gallery