He is also a painter who is curious & questioning. In an attempt to challenge himself, to question his firmly held beliefs, and at times simply to relieve boredom, Cushner frequently challenges his mental process – detours that can lead to unexpected and surprising results. In his recent ceramic work, he challenges himself with new materials and a new format. Cushner has worked hard to develop a personal language that expresses his love of gesture, of pattern, of the handmade and the childlike. These ceramic works speak in his voice and in his language, but translated into an expression that is more immediate, more colorful, and much more playful.