Dusty began working in clay in 2008. She maintained a pottery studio in Bonita Springs, Florida in conjunction with the Bonita Springs Art League for several years. Dusty creates her pottery by starting out with a slab of clay which she molds by hand into unique pieces which mimic forms found in nature. She does not use a wheel so each piece is unique and one of a kind.Any asymmetry in form or variation in glaze color are characteristic of the process and part of the beauty of being hand made. The Japanese use the term " wabi-sabi" which means to " find the beauty within the imperfect". While working in her studio in Bonita Springs she met a wonderful lady named Georgia Hortin . Georgia was a master pine needle weaver and felt that pottery could be enhanced by pine needles and visa -versa. Dusty learned pine needle weaving from Georgia and became good friends with her over the course of several years. Georgia died in September 2017 at the age of 99, but her legacy will live on.

Dusty now works in both mediums, sometimes combining the two.