Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Clary Illian | Episode 728

Today, April 29th is the birthday of The Potters Cast! Seven years ago we launched the show to the world. In celebration I am going back into the archives and pulling out some of my personal favorites. Clary is definitely one of my all time favorites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTE: All photographs, except Clary’s profile picture, are taken from this site: http://rosenfieldcollection.com/?author=26

SPONSORS

  You can help support the show!

 

 

Number 1 brand in America for a reason. Skutt.com

 

 

Having been a potter for so many decades, how do you stay inspired?

I don’t know if inspiration is the word. I think that it is process- little tiny process steps that lead me by the nose through the work and through the engagement. Recently I made some bowls and I did some decorations. The decorations I did were things I’ve done before and I was looking for way to recombine some patterns and images. And it just wasn’t hitting it at all, and I just felt crumby at the end of the day. Then the next day I found a way to take those same decorative elements and I put them together in a way that was more successful, and I felt good about myself. So that’s the way it works in my pottery. I do a little drawing or I look at a book or I see an image… and I find a way to that… and it keeps me hooked in for X number of days and then I have to look for a new little element. So far it’s worked.

How do you get past self-doubt?

I just ask myself Who ever told you that you have to be so first rate? Then I say, Do your job. Just be faithful to your craft. That’s all.

How do you stay motivated to keep making?

I must say, it really helps that people buy them and use them. I don’t know how long I’d last if sales just dried up completely. And I use pots in my own life, just every other potter I have cabinets full of pots. I guess that I just believe that it brings pleasure and meaning to life to have these handmade objects in life and use them every day. That seems to be enough for me.

How do you market your work now?

I am still kind of going on momentum now and I must say that it’s been slowing down. I mentioned earlier (in the podcast) about earlier parts in a potter’s career when they are really pushing and trying to figure this all out. It’s been a long time since I’ve spent any real effort trying to maintain or develop my market, and I am kind of feeling it. You do go out of people’s minds. I guess I am not hurting enough around this issue to do anything about it at this point.

Name an artist you’d be honored to be compared to.

I kind of think of myself as a journeyman, and I have a lot of company there. And I sure hope that occasionally I make good pots, but I don’t know if I locate that desire for quality in the example of another person. There is a terrific documentary of Woody Allen. I think a lot of people don’t understand about Woody Allen why there is this mix of indifferent work and terrific work. But he’s not necessarily aiming at the terrific work, he’s aiming at making a movie every year. He forgives himself when it isn’t good- he’s swept up in the process. That’s why I can’t answer that question because it’s just a journey.

What kind of advice would you give to the young potter just starting out?

Keeping in mind that I am talking about potters that want to make lots of pots for daily use, my advice would be, don’t abandon that idea. There are ways to do it; it is a worthy idea that you can make pots for daily use, that are simple, and direct, and they have value.

Book

The Potter’s Workbook by Clary Illian

Ceramics by Philip Rawson

Contact

The best way to find Clary Illian is to search Google