Raised in the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts, Sue Chappelear began college study in secondary art education at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut.  It was in graduate school at the University of Maryland where she first began her commitment to clay.  Sue's work reflects an interest with the plastic properties of clay and the directness and spontaneity if affords.  Involvement with surface articulation is supported by generally symmetrical form.  Stoneware glazes are kept simple, while raku glazes offer the direct mark of the firing process and often yield metallic coloration.  Although the work can be considered utilitarian, functional concerns merge with the sculptural appeal of the vessels.