FEATURED ARTIST-TRACIE ANDERSON

What do you love the most about being a potter/ceramist/clayworker?
I love the process. I incorporate a lot of found objects into my art, so initially finding a piece
starts the process. I love being able to manipulate the clay (hopefully) to embrace my
ideas

What inspires you ?
The ocean, the shore, things that are washed up whether made by man or nature and I’ ve found
 some really cool stuff in peoples back sheds as well l!
 

Tell us about the processes involved in producing your work ?
Usually (but not always) I find a washed up object, be it wood, shell, bone etc., and that forms the idea.
Then I enlarge that idea in my journals and see what the piece will need to come alive.



I mainly use porcelain for my work as sometimes I don’t glaze, and I like the finish of
porcelain, also I can manipulate the clay to a very fine consistency which is good for


the type of sculptural work I do. Then I bring it all together and hope for the
best !!!

 

Sometimes what I envisage doesn't come together, but mostly it does and then once
again I’m hooked on clay !! Its like a forbidden love!!




Describe your studio
My husband built it for me for Mothers Day many years ago and its jammed packed with all the flotsam
& jetsom of a beachcombers life.

 I usually try to have a clean out about every 6 months or so to get rid of things I should
never have looked at in the first place !




.

How do you market and sell your work?
In the beginning I entered every competition and exhibition I could find and I used to do four fairs a year.
 But now I have narrowed all of that down to a select few per year and I have three outlets in the district
which sell my wares. I find now that I am more established I can concentrate more on what I want to produce  rather than just the bread and butter pieces that are involved with fairs etc.

Has joining MUD COLONY BLOG had any impact on your blogging?
I check in once a week to Mud Colony for my fix on what everyone else is doing. It can be a
rather solitary life in the studio, so Mud Colony is an absolute treasure to have found.
 I find with my own blog that it inspires me to work harder and also to hone my skills with photography
and beachcombing, so I can show it all off. !!! Its also easy to go back over to see what I,
 myself have done over the year.

Are there any clay blogs that you ALWAYS look at ,and why?
I flick through alot of different blogs which I have listed on my site. Its always interesting to peek
in someones blog window !!

Best piece of advice you have been given about your practice ?
Don't be afraid to expand and try different ideas !

What would be YOUR advice to someone just beginning clay work  ?
Put your work into every competition and exhibition you can afford to enter.
You get good feedback and good experience in dealing with galleries ,and you learn to accept
criticism .
After you have gained more experience you can eliminate the ones that don’t work for you.

How do you balance your time between studio/bookwork/marketing/LIFE?
I haven't figured that out YET!

Tracie is a regular contributor to Mud Colony with her blog    T.J Art .Ceramics  
and can be contacted via EMAIL