My life has had many twists and turns but there has always been a connecting thread...dirt! Yes, whether it be sand, soil, mud or clay, I've always had my hands deep in it.

Born in Florida I grew up near the lakes and sandy beaches. I married, moved around and finally landed in Georgia where my husband and I built and ran a retail specialty plant nursery for seventeen years. So from the beaches to digging in the dirt at our nursery, my next turn....mud, a.k.a. clay. Introduced to clay over ten years ago it has become my new found love.

My goal with clay was to become a figurative sculptor. I loved the idea but unfortunately my figures quickly started developing an extra pair of legs! I feel this interest and passion with animals goes back to relationships with pets my family had while growing up. Our home always had numerous and various types of pets around and I learned early on how important they are in our lives.

The ClayCompanions are typically sculpted with a stylized body and a more realistic head. I don't strive for pretty or perfection in my animals, rather I focus on form, textures, details and prefer to give each their own personality and character. Like people, they have their wrinkles, warts, freckles and oddities, but they still want to be your best buddy and like real ones, they will give you a lifetime of unconditional love.

I hope my artwork will give you the enjoyment I feel in creating it.

When not working on my animal sculptures my favorite thing is spending time with my special guy and cute little gal, Bill and Lucy Loo (my husband and our real dog).

For more of my work please visit :

http://www.pinterest.com/cathymeincer/ceramic-animal-sculpture/

http://www.river-gallery.com/artist.php?artistId=348