In the Fall of 2011, I began drawing umbrellas—on paper, on mugs, inside bowls—and in the summer of 2012, I continued this theme by making miniature umbrellas out of any material I could get my hands on—plaster, porcelain, glass, steel. I soon found that as they multiplied, my interest grew and I decided to increase the scale to life size. I began the physical manifestation of the full scale porcelain umbrellas in December. Throughout the course of the project, I became acutely attuned to umbrellas—their various shapes, colors, patterns—but even moreso, the way that they release their form to the wind and rain. I kept this notion in mind as I moved the umbrellas into the firing cycle, supporting them in the kiln in various ways to allow the heat of the kiln have a say in the way that each umbrella relaxed or was supported in the firing. The result is that even though all of the umbrellas were cast from the same mold, no two are exactly alike. Three months of work culminated in a late February installation of eleven umbrellas, titled “January Swim.” This piece celebrated the interaction of people with the work. By day, the umbrellas created a space to move within, in the evening, they reflected the light of the sky at dusk, and in the darkness of night, they became screens for projected video.