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#110 Creating Fantasy Themed Pottery w/ Ahnalisa Reevis
24 Plays3 years ago
What is up Shaping Nation on this episode of Shaping Your Pottery I got to interview Ahnalisa Reevis. Ahnalisa makes really incredible Fantasy themed pottery. You can learn more about Ahnalisa by checking out her Instagram @dirtworks_ceramics
Top 3 Value Bombs:
1. How to Make Fantasy Themed Pottery
2. The Most important thing is to make what you want to make
3. Working up your skills until you find what you like to make
and so much more
If you would like to start discovering your unique voice with your pottery you must ask yourself the right questions to find what you really like to make. I put together 15 Free questions all you have to do is go here to access your 15 question Template shapingyourpottery.com/questions
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Transcript
The Power of Questions in Pottery
00:00:00
Speaker
Real quick before we get started, did you know that the questions that we asked are going to determine what our pottery is going to look like and it's going to determine what our voice is going to look like? That's why I created 15 questions that you can use right now to start discovering your own unique voice. Go to shapingyourpottery.com forward slash questions to get this free booklet.
00:00:23
Speaker
If you love pottery and want to take your skills to the next level, you're in the right place.
Interview with Analisa Rivas
00:00:28
Speaker
Find your own pottery style right here on Shaping Your Pottery with Nick Torres. Let's get started.
00:00:35
Speaker
What is up, Shaping Nation? This is Nick Torres here with Shaping Your Pottery. On this episode of Shaping Your Pottery, I got to interview Analisa Rivas. Analisa makes some really incredible fantasy themed pottery. In this episode, you will learn how to create a world of fantasy through pottery. But more specifically, you're going to learn how Analisa makes her Shire Collection. I'll see you in there.
Transition to Full-Time Pottery
00:01:00
Speaker
On Elisa, welcome to Shaping Your Pottery and share with me what is one thing potters should be doing to have success in pottery.
00:01:07
Speaker
I think that in order to be successful in pottery, and this is in any art medium, I think, that you have to be excited about the work that you're making. If you're not excited about it, if it's not lighting your fire, there's a really good chance it's not gonna do that for somebody else. So you really need to reflect on what is doing it for you and go from there.
00:01:34
Speaker
Definitely great. You have to be excited about your work. That's the most important thing for sure So can you tell me the story about when you decided to become a full-time potter? Yes, so I went to Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia straight out of high school and Was in their clay program and went through that and once I graduated I
00:02:02
Speaker
I was working in a bunch of different offices, not really enjoying that. And then I ended up getting married and pregnant and I was staying at home with my son at the time, just kind of doing pottery in my garage while he was napping. And then things really started to pick up for me and I was having a harder and harder time finding time to create work. And my husband was laid off and I said, this is so great.
00:02:31
Speaker
This is the sign that I'm supposed to be going full time with the pottery. You should be home with our son. And he was like, OK, let's try it. And I've been full time ever since. It's been a blessing. So what would you say were some of your struggles when you were starting to go full time?
Time Management Strategies
00:02:50
Speaker
I had a really hard time just.
00:02:53
Speaker
Making the adjustment of stepping back from my role in the house. I had a really hard time transitioning from being the primary caretaker for my son to being the one making the money. So I had a hard time kind of prioritizing my work because I felt really pulled to still be in the role I was in before.
00:03:13
Speaker
And then I had a hard time kind of managing my time and figuring out, you know, kind of like triaging my work day and not just dreaming the day away. Because one tiny little thing can totally make you waste your whole day, you know, like the way a piece connects to another piece. And you're like, Oh, that's so cool. I wonder if I did it this way. And then the next thing you know, it's been four hours and you've been playing with dots of clay.
00:03:44
Speaker
So how do you manage your time better? I make a lot of lists. I make so many lists and I just have to do that because without it I won't focus. So I just make a list for the day or the week and I just go down and knock it out. Can you give me an example of what one of these lists might look like?
00:04:06
Speaker
Yeah, it looks really manic. And you know, that meme of the guy from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and he looks really crazy with all the red strips. That's what the lists look like. That's awesome.
Embracing Fantasy in Pottery
00:04:21
Speaker
So can you tell me the story how you started creating your fantasy pottery? Yeah, so when I was first making pottery, especially when I was in college, I was making really
00:04:34
Speaker
traditional looking pottery like pottery pottery typical stuff that you've seen for forever and uh it wasn't really doing anything for me it wasn't selling i wasn't getting any good feedback on it and so then finally i was like well
00:04:52
Speaker
effort, you know, making this traditional style work isn't working for me anyways. So I'll just make the things that I'm interested in. So I kind of started out with my interests in astrology and I started with my zodiac mugs and things kind of branched out from there. And then I started using a lot of literature as inspiration and it was like the deeper I got into my own interests, which is
00:05:20
Speaker
super fantasy stuff, totally make believe living life in the realms of the unreal. Things started really taking off for me, which I think links back into what I said in the beginning that you have to do what makes you happy what you're interested in to find any type of success.
00:05:39
Speaker
Absolutely agree, that is some really wonderful advice. So you are obviously inspired by fantasy, but you're also inspired by nature and all things that make you kind of feel a state of wonder. How does this impact what you are going to make?
00:05:54
Speaker
Well it impacts because I can't really work on any type of schedule. I have definite collections that I do throughout the year and themes that I work in, but it makes it a little bit difficult for me to kind of plan ahead at all because
00:06:11
Speaker
You know, something will happen in my life that is like, Oh, I'm really interested in portals right now. So I'm going to develop this new line that's all about liminal space and portals. So it's a little bit difficult to have any sense of a plan, but I think it keeps it interesting for me. I love that. Because I don't feel like you need a plan all the time for pottery. I feel like if you make
00:06:38
Speaker
what you like to make an experiment more than you're going to eventually find it out eventually. I agree. And you grow a lot when you work that way. Because you're 100% agree. Ideas, techniques, and just getting better with the practice. That is some really, really wonderful advice.
Creating the Shire Collection
00:06:58
Speaker
So now, can you walk me through how you create your fantasy pottery, but more specifically, your Shire collection?
00:07:06
Speaker
Yeah, so the Shire collection, I love that collection. It's my most favorite collection to make because I feel like I can really get into the nitty gritty of the details, which is my absolute favorite. And it's really important for me with the Shire pieces to have a sense of depth in them.
00:07:30
Speaker
So I throw the mug and then I cut a hole in it. So there's a hole through the side of the mug and then I attach a slab on the inside and then I attach slabs on the outside so you get kind of three levels of dimension that you're working with to create the depth. And then on any of the ones that I have, like the overhang pieces or anything, I'm building all of that up with coil work onto the mug.
00:07:58
Speaker
How do you glaze and like decorate it? So painstakingly, so painstakingly. When I first started making them, I would use wax a lot to try and help me not contaminate certain areas of the piece. But I don't really do that anymore since I've had more practice, I've gotten better. So when I'm glazing and I work on the lowest level first, because then I can kind of wipe away any mistakes on the higher up levels.
00:08:28
Speaker
And all those little pebbles are just like tiny little pieces of clay that I roll into little balls and then smush them on there. So they're raised up a little bit. So with the fan brush, you can kind of get under the lip of the details. So if you work from the bottom up, it's a lot easier.
00:08:45
Speaker
Have you heard of liquid latex? Yes, I do use that a lot. But I had a problem trying to use it with my Shire pieces because it gets stuck down in the moss so much that it's just easier to not use it on those pieces. I see, I see. Something I found interesting is that you only make your Shire collection once a year. Yes. Can you explain this to me?
00:09:14
Speaker
I can only afford it to make it once a year because it takes me such a long time. I really am more of a production potter right now because that's how I support myself. It is just not economically feasible to
00:09:32
Speaker
spend all my time making those pieces because I basically go broke up to when I start working on it it's like by the time I'm at the end of it I'm like oh my gosh I need to sell these pieces because my bills need to get paid so it's uh I wish I could do it more I really do I would love to spend more time doing more sculptural one-off pieces
00:09:57
Speaker
that I definitely feel that you want to be working on more, but you have to make other pieces as well because it is a living that you're trying to make.
Finding and Honing Your Unique Voice
00:10:07
Speaker
Can you tell me, what is your favorite character from Hobbit or Lord of the Rings? Samwise Gamgee. Sam is the best. He is the number one. The true hero. I'm glad you said that one.
00:10:23
Speaker
He really is. He really is. Frodo was going to keep the ring, man. Frodo sucks. He saved Frodo so many times. He was. Oh my. He was the true hero. So over the last 13 years, what would you say helped you the most with developing your voice? Probably just doing what I want.
00:10:49
Speaker
I mean, you always have the people that are like, oh, it'd be really cool if you did this and you did that. And then I had to stop taking customs for a while because I felt like I wasn't really able to grow because I was constantly trying to communicate somebody else's vision. So it was like when I took a step away from that,
00:11:11
Speaker
I would say I really started developing my own style when I was like, I'm just doing things that make my heart sing. I love that. Shaping Nation, if you're listening right now, if you're kind of at a crossroads and you are maybe making pottery for other people, try going a different direction and make pottery just for yourself. You're going to be able to grow a lot more because you're just focusing on what you like to make.
00:11:36
Speaker
totally agree. And you know, sometimes when you first start out and you see other people being really successful, you're like, Oh, I should model after them and I should try doing what they're doing. And maybe it'll help me be successful. And sometimes that works. But usually you're going to fall short doing that because you just have to do what's good for you. And the person that you are is going to really resonate with more like minded people and they will come to you.
00:12:04
Speaker
I'm glad you mentioned that because it is important to kind of model other potters but don't like copy them exactly because that's their unique voice, not yours. I love that. You just can't win because you know you won't get any kind of wealth or spring of ideas coming when they're not coming from you. Absolutely agree. That was really great advice.
00:12:29
Speaker
So now, can you describe the moment when you knew that you were going to pursue making fantasy pottery like further and this is going to be your thing? Oh, man, I don't know if I ever really knew if it was going to be my thing. I think I just started doing it and then I woke up and was like, oh, I guess that's my thing. That's awesome. See, stumbled into it. I love that I love because it doesn't have to happen. It just kind of happens naturally.
00:12:56
Speaker
Yeah, it's if you kind of give up control a little bit and just start playing and seeing where it takes you things really begin to unfold naturally in front of you, the less you try and force it, the easier it is like you just want to be on the lazy river. I 100% agree that was really excellent advice. So
00:13:20
Speaker
A big problem when it comes to finding people's voices with their pottery is that they lack confidence in their work. What would you say has helped you with developing confidence in your work? You tell yourself you know it is going to be shit and you do it anyways. The very first collection of teacups I did were based on the series that I really enjoy by Deborah Harkness.
00:13:48
Speaker
called a discovery of witches. And I wanted to make a set of tea cups that was based off the books. And I was like, man, my skill level doesn't really feel like it is where it needs to be to execute these forms. And I was like, well,
00:14:06
Speaker
F it I'm gonna do it anyways because I'm never gonna get there if I don't at least try and I was really present pleasantly surprised they came out way better than I ever expected them to and now I mean they're outstanding if I say so myself so it's like you just have to
00:14:26
Speaker
You just have to know it's maybe gonna be bad and go for it anyways because practice, practice, practice makes perfect and then it's extra thrilling when you look back and you're like, whoa, I thought that was all right back then. And it looks like garbage and look how good I am now and that feels really good.
00:14:48
Speaker
That was some really excellent advice. Shaping Nation, if you're listening right now, you have to suck first before you can actually gain the confidence with yourself. You have to suck first. You have to be shit. You have to really do the work in order to get where you want to be. You're not gonna just wake up one day and say, oh, this is my thing. I like this. I'm confident about this thing. You have to work up your skills. Yeah, we all suck. We all suck in the beginning.
00:15:16
Speaker
That was some really excellent advice, top tier.
Opportunities from a Unique Pottery Voice
00:15:19
Speaker
So what opportunities, when you found your voice, what opportunities started coming your way when you found your voice?
00:15:30
Speaker
Man, just the greatest opportunity, which is to live my life the way I want to. I cannot believe that I get to make pottery every day and it resonates with people and they bring it into their homes and love it. That is the best opportunity that has come to me since I found my voice, for sure.
00:15:55
Speaker
I absolutely love it, so amazing. So before we get to the last two questions, I wanted to make sure I get this one out. So what advice would you give to someone trying to incorporate fantasy into their pottery? I would say start with whatever you like about fantasy. Whatever it is that draws you in, start there. And it's like if you like Harry Potter,
00:16:24
Speaker
You know, go back and listen to Harry Potter, listen to audiobooks when you're in your studio working and see what comes through. I listen to so many audiobooks in the studio. It's insane. And how does the audio? How does the audio book help you with the kind of like inspiration?
00:16:42
Speaker
Well, I listen to all of the Lord of the Rings books when I'm doing the Shire every year. And it makes me feel really connected to the pieces and it helps me a lot. But I also really like listening to audiobooks in my studio because I feel like if I let myself, my brain will really kind of go off on a tangent.
00:17:02
Speaker
And I start really overthinking about things because I don't really have to think about the technical side of pottery anymore. I got that down. I have the muscle memory. So my brain kind of just spirals out of control. But if I'm listening to audiobooks, I have something that's distracting me, a story that I can anchor into. And when I'm not overthinking it, some of my best work is coming out of the clay.
00:17:26
Speaker
That is some really, really great advice. I love the aspect of listening to something so that it kind of gives you more inspiration and gives you a little bit new ideas. So what advice would you give to someone trying to find their own unique voice with their pottery?
00:17:42
Speaker
I would say that they just start with their interests. Start with what you are interested in. And that goes with the forms too. If you're not interested in making mugs, don't make mugs. If you want to make giant pieces and you have the facilities to make that happen, then do that. You should play. Play, play, play, play, play.
00:18:08
Speaker
Love it. Shaping Nation, if you're listening right now, the key to really finding your voice is just to play around. Play around with the clay. Get beat. Be fun with it. Have fun with it. So as we're coming to a close here, what is one thing you want to hammer home with my audience today?
00:18:26
Speaker
that the worst thing that you could possibly do is quit. And everybody feels like quitting sometimes. I've wanted to quit like 40 times this year. This year sucked. But you just can't. You cannot quit.
00:18:42
Speaker
You know, it's true what they say. It's darkest before the dawn. Even if people are not resonating with your work yet, don't give it up. Do not give it up. It is still important. It still adds value and continuing to create is the greatest gift you can give yourself. That was some excellent parting words of advice on Lisa. It was really great channel today.
Explore More of Analisa's Work
00:19:05
Speaker
Where can my audience go and learn more about your work?
00:19:07
Speaker
My website, which is dirtworksceramics.com, and I wish I was better about updating it, but I'm not. So really, I guess Instagram. I hate that. I hate that the best place to get me is on social media, but right now that's what's easiest for me. So my Instagram handle is dirtworks underscore ceramics.
00:19:30
Speaker
Thanks for listening to this episode of Shaping Your Pottery. If you have questions about developing your voice or just pottery questions in general, send them to me my way. Go to shapingyourpottery.com forward slash contact to send me your questions.