Shirley Gromen received her MFA in ceramics from The Ohio State University. She worked many years as a graphic designer before returning to the clay studio. She works out of her studio in Southern Maryland inspired by the ever-changing natural world of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. She interprets different species of birds and fish on functional and sculptural porcelain forms hoping to bring to the user an awareness and appreciation of the variety of interdependent life that surrounds us.