Michelle Dziadkowicz
Michelle Dziadkowicz Ceramics Studio
Seal Beach, California
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Studio Description:
My studio is in a converted garage space that I started in March 2020.
My studio is in a converted garage space that I started in March 2020.
What type of clay do you use?
Laguna Clay B-Mix cone-5 Stoneware
What temperature do you fire to?
What temperature do you fire to?
Cone 6
What is your primary forming method?
Handbuilding with slabs
What is your favorite surface treatment?
Texturing clay with stamps and rollers, sgraffito
Do you make any of your own tools?
Clay stamps
What one word would you use to describe your work?
Organic
What is your favorite thing about your studio?
The serenity that it brings me
What is the one thing in your studio you can’t live without?
My MKM clay tools
What are your top three studio wishes?
To have a larger space to work in, to add a slab roller, and to have a sink with a clay trap built into it.
What’s on your current reading list?
A Potter's Workbook by Clary Illian
How do you save money on materials and supplies?
I try to make some of my own clay tools and recycle clay
How do you recharge creatively?
I take workshops from people whose work I admire, travel, and explore nature
Do you have any DIY tips for studio efficiency?
Keep clay tools organized in trays on shelves so that they can be found easily
What challenges have you given yourself to overcome?
Getting stronger at my wheel-throwing skills
What did your first piece look like?
An abstract vase that was altered from a wheel-thrown vessel
What ceramic superpower would you have and why?
To be able to throw large forms on the pottery wheel
What area of skill do you most look to other artists to learn?
Surface decoration—using tools to create interesting textures in the clay
Who is your ceramic art mentor and why?
Liz Zlot Summerfield. I love how she uses clay slabs to create interesting small forms such as boxes, jars, salt and pepper shaker sets, etc.
What is on your studio playlist?
Eagles, Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, 70's Soft Rock
Why do you create art?
I am inspired to create interesting, textured forms that are lively and colorful and that are inspired by nature. I love creating carved and stamped surfaces that are calling to be touched.
Who is your favorite artist and what do you admire about that artist?
My favorite artist is Vincent Van Gogh because I love how he created colorful landscapes with movement of lines.
What is your best studio tip?
Always clean up your space after a work session because it's better to have a clean space to inspire creativity.
If you could change one property of clay, what would it be?
To have it crack less as it dries
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