There are no pretty faces around my studio. Being mostly self-taught, I have been making character dolls with a very distinctive look for more than 20 years. A conservative theme prevails through most of my work; I create simple characters who celebrate the ordinary.

I work in Super Sculpey, which I love for its potential for making funny faces and outrageous characters. This medium allows me to preserve little faces in moments of sweetness, or with subtle humor. When I take a piece of clay, I never know who I am going to meet next. Even when I have a specific plan in mind, inevitably somebody else shows up. I just welcome them in and, in truth, these characters are most often the best company.

The anticipation of what I am going to come up with next keeps me grabbing for the clay. Most of my character dolls reflect the taste of the Midwest. They seem to simply celebrate life with conservative values.

The most enjoyable part of dollmaking for me is seeing the little faces just pop out of the clay, telling me their own story even before the piece is complete. Over the years I have met a lot of wonderful people, both through the clay and in real life, on this journey of making character dolls.