Ann says, “I was always in nature, from my childhood forward – hiking in the Rockies, spending days on horseback on the range – those were the important times for me. Fast forward to college days, studying botany and range management, working in those areas until marriage.”

The search for her husband’s work in reforestation led them to the University of Toronto, in Ontario. Other opportunities were calling after a few years, so they moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, and then eventually to Vancouver Island, where they now live.

“Pottery was always my favorite art form and I collected as often as I could afford to. It was something I always wanted to try, but never thought I’d have the opportunity.”

The company Ann worked for closed its doors in 2013, and she was left with nothing to do, and with sons who had moved away, when she learned of a small studio opening in a local recreation center. “That was it for me,” she said, “I was smitten and addicted.”

Soon afterward, Ann had the opportunity to acquire equipment from a local, long-time potter who was retiring, so now she has her own rustic studio. “I definitely have a funky style. I am not concerned with perfection. I adhere to wabi sabi, roughly translated as ‘beauty in imperfection.’ Many of my pieces integrate the natural world, either through my horse mugs, biological floral stamping, or slab work with texture from fallen trees.”

Ann cleanses her spirit by spending several weeks each year in the high desert of Central Oregon, where she loves Americana and traditional folk music, hiking, and biking. She’s been a featured artist at Sisters Gallery and Frame Shop since 2015.