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Angel Brame
Dragonflies and Mud Pottery
Joplin, Missouri
Website
https://www.dragonfliesandmudpottery.com/
Email
drgnflysnmud@gmail.com
Artist Statement
I have found that clay offers something unexpected and creatively inspiring. Clay gives me the opportunity to add texture and color to pieces that are durable, useful, and make you want to pick them up for an experience you can’t get with a canvas.
Studio Description
My studio space is in my home and offers me the freedom to work at any time. I am fortunate to have everything I need to express my creativity, including a wheel, extruder, two kilns, full chemical station, and photography set up.
What type of clay do you use?
Porcelain and stoneware
What temperature do you fire to?
Cone six oxidation and cone ten reduction
What is your primary forming method?
Wheel throwing is typically where I start, but adding texture and handbuilt pieces is a new love
What is your favorite surface treatment?
Texture and slip application
Do you make any of your own tools?
No
What one word would you use to describe your work?
Imaginative
What is your favorite thing about your studio?
Being able to work at any time of the day or night
What is the one thing in your studio you can’t live without?
Wheel
What are your top three studio wishes?
Slab roller, more storage, windows
What’s on your current reading list?
Every Ceramics Monthly magazine
How do you save money on materials and supplies?
Go in with other potters for bulk discounts
How do you recharge creatively?
A regular challenge. I just finished making one piece every day for all of 2017. It forced me to be creative in small bursts every day.
Do you have any DIY tips for studio efficiency?
I use a clear shoe rack that is on the wall above my wedging/work table. Everything is visible and within reach.
What challenges have you given yourself to overcome?
Getting out of my own way. I had to force myself to stop saying that I couldn’t do something.
What did you first piece look like?
Small vase, very bottom heavy. I had no idea what I was doing.
What ceramic superpower would you have and why?
Even and quick drying. Don’t we all fight that? I would love to be able to speed up the process without risk of cracks.
Who is your ceramic art mentor and why?
Brent Skinner, because he is constantly telling me to think bigger and he knows almost everything.
What is your studio playlist?
Too eclectic to list but absolute favorite is the soundtrack to Last of the Mohicans
Why do you create art?
I create art because I must. I can’t imagine a day without touching art, especially clay, in some way.
What is your best studio tip?
Stay organized. A little damage control every now an then to put the studio back in order makes for a rejuvenated artist, and a creative mindset.
If you could change one property of clay, what would it be?
Not drying to the skin
