Featured Mud Colony Blogger -Lydia Kwong

MC;  What do you love the most about being a potter/ceramist/clayworker? 

LK;Having my hands on clay is what I absolutely love the most. Clay becoming an extension of my fingers, hands, arms.....body and blending together with my soul. My works are truly parts of me. 

 MC: What inspires you ? 

LK;This is a tough one. I need to say I don't know what doesn't inspire me.  A piece of paper, any artist's work, a feeling, a pattern, an idea, a book, a technique, a material, my friends............the list is endless.

 

MC: Tell us about the processes involved in producing your work ?  

LK; Idea comes first. It usually comes in the form of a random thought out of no where. It probably is the distilled result of many unconscious thoughts in the back of my head. Sometimes, I have so many ideas and they are bursting to come out.

 I don't like writing or drawing them down. I feel I may alter the essence of the idea and limit it from evolving further if I put it down on paper. 

 Since I only get to work on clay on weekends, the idea would then be further developed consciously through out the weekdays.  The work will also evolve on its own when I start making it.  

 MC:Describe your studio

LK; Oh, sadly I don't own a studio yet. I go to my friends' studios. One on Saturday and the other on Sunday. 

MC: How do you market  and sell your work? 

LK;I don't do that yet. I think I will start doing that in the near future. Selling is hard for me. I am very attached to my works. But I do like giving them to friends. To know that my works are in good homes.

MC: How did you find Mud Colony?And  what impact ,( if any), has it had on your

blogging?  

LK; Honestly I don't remember exactly how. I guess I must have stumbled upon it while browsing online. Lucky me!  It is awesome to find kindred spirit online and I love seeing other potters' works.  I started blogging because I have so much to say about potting,and pouring my thoughts out online is working for me

 MC: Are there any  clay blogs that you ALWAYS look at ,and why?  

LK;The ones listed on my blog are my daily inspiration. They keep me sane when my hands are not on clay.

MC: What would be YOUR advice to someone just beginning their practice?

LK;Do what makes YOU smile.  The rest comes naturally. 

Lydia Kwong is a regular contributor to Mud Colony with her BLOG 'Clay Affair'
and is on Instagram as 'lydiainlalaland'