These pieces were inspired by scholars' stones.  They are special stones that are created by nature and selected by the artist.  I attempted to copy this idea by creating masses of ceramic materials that could not be designed in the traditional sense.  I would mix up glaze into a paste and bury a mass of it in various refractory materials.  As a form was created, it was being buried, so I was unable to truly know the form of the stone until it was fired and solidified.  Upon excavating the stone from the refractory materials, I would meditate on the stones.  From here, I would consider what the meaning of the stone was and what it made me feel.  Traditionally, scholars' stones have a one of a kind wooden base that is created for the stone and are given a title.  I replaced the wooden base with various items to help support the stone and would give the viewer some information on what the title means.  With this work, I was hoping to dig as deeply into my own psyche as possible and to make myself vulnerable.  With so little information given to the viewer, they are unable to fully know the whole story or exactly what I was referencing, and that element of mystery and lack of context gives the pieces an energy.  The pieces are also dependent on a precarious balance, and that tension is a critical element in to stones.