Tiffany Angel Nesbit

"I use a mixture of white and porcelain clays, specifically on my functional pottery. I use reclaim clay mixtures of cinco blanco and buffalo wallo for my sculptural works."

Primary forming method?

"I use a mix of wheel throwing, hand building, and hand carving techniques to create the forms and designs of the pieces. "

Primary firing temperature?

"I typically fire to cone 6. Some pieces that are more sculptural I’ll do a low fire."

Favorite surface treatment?

"My favorite “go to” for surface treatment is a combination. I carve designs into the clay with ribbon tools and chisels while the clay is leather hard, sand the work while its bone dry, then after its bisque I sponge and wipe a dark color onto the piece, and then brush on diluted under glazes to create water color effects, while putting a thin clear coat to make the pallets pop. I often put feet on the bottoms of my functional ware, making the finished products look like creatures or plant-like."

How/Where do you market and sell your artwork?

"I sell at The First Saturday Art Market on 19^th Street in the Heights, The Folk Market at Sawyer Yards on second Saturday, Bizarre Markets at the White Oak Music Hall, Fire Gallery at Sawyer Yards, and The Whimsy Artisan in the Heights. I often sell my work through instagram @tiffanyangelstudioartist. I also have an online shop on my artist website at www.tiffanyangelnesbit.com/pottery-2022"

"At first, I hated clay. I started out working with metal, wood, and found objects to make sculptural objects. But after years of getting over the learning curve of clay, it slowly consumed my whole practice. I started off learning how to make functional ware and selling at markets with paintings and other things I make. That eventually took over the more conceptual part of my practice. I started making hundreds of weird fish-like pieces and tying them together to make bundles. The bundles are still growing years later but are becoming more recognizable animal figures that have more identifiable personalities and facial structures. Again, reflecting animals that I have personally spent time with.

 I think what sparks the “creativity” is like most artists; I have a dire need to figure things out about the material. How far can I go with this? How heavy can this pile get without it collapsing on its own weight? What does it look like if it breaks this way versus that way? I think it’s just questioning the material itself too. Especially since it is clay, it’s been around for thousands of years. It’s going to live a lot longer than me or anyone else who buys it from me. Where will it be after that? It will have its own life until it breaks down into little pebbles. I think the need for remembering the spirits of the animals and the environments that I loved growing up, as a kid, is especially important and personal. Their memory lives through the artwork."              

How have you have taken your experience as a well-established maker in the field and passed that knowledge along to your other artists?

"I tell my students to make what’s important to them, not what’s popular. Don’t just make propaganda. If you’re making something that is important to you, the viewer can tell and connect with it as a human. If you’re making just to make it, or making just to get a quick moment of fame its not going to go very far. It’s hard for people to connect with things that aren’t derived from a human spirit. Be honest about your work and how your make it.

 Don’t be afraid to make money off of your work. You need to eat and be able to afford to make the next piece and generate your studios functionality. Go sell at local markets, connect with your community. Yes, go show in galleries and museums, but getting artwork into your neighborhood is just as important.

Don’t just make one piece and call it done, make tons of it. Master your craft!"

What’s the best advice you’ve been given by a fellow maker, mentor, or teacher?

“Don’t forget to Play!  Your life happens during the process of making and learning how to create. Although the end goal and finished product is necessary, it’s not the important part."