CLAY LEONARD

" Mid-range porcelain."

Primary forming method?

"I utilize a lot of molds in my work and mostly use a combination of slab-building and slip-casting to make my work."

Primary firing temperature?

"Mid-range, cone 6-7."

Favorite surface treatment?

"Currently utilizing gold luster to create geometric lines and connections between works."

How/Where do you market and sell your artwork?

" I’m fortunate to be employed as a professor, which frees me up to explore content and ideas in my work and be more experimental.  I do a lot of exhibitions and work with galleries mainly in that capacity. Although not a main focus with my work, I do find social media platforms helpful to continue to showcase my process, new works, and network with artists, patrons, supporters and galleries. "

" Allowing myself uninterrupted time to think and experiment with works really opens new doors for me and helps solve problems in my work.  I also constantly am looking, researching, and exposing myself to new historical and contemporary work and investigating specific research topics of interest to continue to inspire new works and ideas.

I was once told an artist should have more ideas than time.  I have so many projects and ideas that I’m excited to get to, so I’m always driven to keep working. "

Did you come to ceramics from a different career? Tell us about your journey to a ceramics career.

" I went to college for painting and put off taking a ceramics class until my Junior year because I didn’t want to get my clothes dirty.  Not sure why I thought that as I don’t’ think I have any clothes that aren’t clay contaminated now.  In that class it just clicked, I was drawn to the art history and lineage of ceramics, but more importantly the consistent challenge it presented.  Ever since that first class I have been working in clay."

"I had a lot of supportive professors and artists help me along the way and still do.  Due to this I feel a responsibility to share what I have learned and have been taught.  Being a professor and working with students and being a small part of their individual journeys fulfills this."

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

“Some of the best indirect advice has come from my support system.  My wife supported me through graduate school and has been with me throughout this whole journey and continues to offer support and encouragement.  Secondly, witnessing my parents dedication and hard work has reinforced my studio practice and work ethic.

Outside of that, I took a workshop with Karen Karnes and Mark Shapiro at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine during the summer, maybe May, when I was a student.  Mark Shapiro looked at my image portfolio and gave me some of the best advice that I still think about.  He said that I needed to, “Free myself up to make a lot of ugly work”.  This has really reinforced the need to take chances, continue to experiment, and perhaps more importantly continue to learn through failures. 

While in graduate school I overheard my professor John Balistreri tell students to, “Stop sucking and start getting good”. Which we always laugh about, but is still pretty good advice. " 

What advice do you have for upcoming ceramic artists?

"There is no substitute for hard work and time.  So any aspiring artist I would say work hard, read, study, research, don’t be afraid to fail, ask questions, and work harder than those around you.  Persistence and patience will pay off."