Teena Martin | Episode 732
Teena Martin started taking pottery classes at a local community arts centre, and this quickly became one of her many forms of expression. Teena considers herself a “self taught” artist because she is not formally trained in ceramics, photography or painting, though she has had many wonderful teachers along the way. When Teena began working with clay her main goal at the start was to throw the biggest bowl possible. That is the wonder of clay, once she threw her 1,000 bowls, extruded dozens of casseroles, made literally 100’s of slab plates (with very rude words!) Teena had enough of ‘production work’ so she went a completely different direction and found her joy! For the last few years Teena has been exploring many different styles and forms but what has remained consistent is her focus on the whimsical. Teena’s love of the ocean plays a large part in her inspiration and her recent projects reflect that passion.
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Why mixed media? Why don’t you pick one medium and settle down? (laughter)
Well to answer that question as quick as I can, I will probably always use ceramics. I guess I like different finishes and I don’t think I can get the same finish with the same media all the time. So I didn’t love the cone 10 firings and so I wanted to go cone 5, so then I went off on my own. Just the colors I wanted and I just find that what I am trying to achieve can’t be done in the same media.
Doesn’t mixing different mediums like this open up a new world of challenges? Because clay by itself is fraught with challenges and now you are trying to add to it.
You know, it does and it doesn’t because I fire once, I don’t fire twice. The normal way is to fire twice, right. You do your bisque fire and then you do your glazing whereas I fire once and I use cone 5 clay and I fire to cone 3 and then do the finishes however I want to do it. It might be some resin, it might be acrylic paint, or other things. It’s more expensive because I am doing a lot of experimental work and I won’t even tell you how much resin and failures I’ve had, but that’s part of creating. You have to go through the screw ups and failures to get where you want to be.
150 hours is a lot of time to put towards one piece. Does that ever discourage you? That amount of work for a single piece?
I guess it discourages me that it is unlikely that I am going to get 20,000 dollars for Fred but this time it is an art process out maybe next time it will take less time. I am all about the details. Everything to me is about the finer details. Like I painted Fred’s entire body other than his head was sculpted. I spent a great deal of time and now a third of his body is under resin. You can see it but you can’t quite see it. It’s like, Why did you spend that much time doing it? But I know it’s there and I know how it looks through the resin. So it is a lot of time and if I was someone else that would be a problem. But I am strictly about the details.
How do you find a market for your work or is that even something that you pursue?
I guess my market…I’ve had already some interest in Up For Air, Fred. Of other people that love the ocean. I think they see it as unique pieces that I create and the collectors are investing in a piece that no one else will have. I mean I have already had interest, I don’t have a buyer yet because he’s not done but people that love turtles or love the ocean or love octopus or other sea creations. Someone who wants a unique piece of art.
Do you like the idea of having collectors? That people would want a Teena Martin piece?
Yes. Who wouldn’t? Or was there another part to the question? (laughter)
No, that was it. Because I feel like that is a relationship building process.
Yes, it’s someone who wants something unique on their wall or in their office.
Where is your favorite place in the world to go diving?
Well because I don’t like being in an airplane for 20 hours at this point I love Grand Cayman. Although on my second dive there I blew my ear out. So I didn’t get my week of diving in when I was there last. Because I am a new diver it’s Grand Cayman and I love Bermuda which is not exactly well known for diving but it’s a lovely place to dive.
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