On today’s episode of the podcast, I’m talking about the art and craft of ceramics with my guest, Diana Fayt.

Diana is a modern-day scrimshander, whose chosen medium is clay rather than whalebone. Drawing on her background as a painter, sculptor, printmaker, and clayer, Diana’s clay surfaces are alive with strange and exotic stories, part folklore and part personal narrative.

Vase by Diana Fayt.

Her work can be found in a myriad of public and private art collections both in the United States and abroad. A graduate of the California College of the Arts, she currently lives and works in the Sierra Nevada, Foothills of California with a dog named Louie and an ever-growing collection of fine art and found ephemera.

Bowl by Diana Fayt.

We talk about the technique Diana developed of etching into clay to draw and tell the stories of her life. She explains her vocabulary of images — a rabbit, a wren, feathers, seahorses, squids, and whales — that she turns to again and again.

We also discuss kilns, safety, and some of the hurdles people might need to overcome in order to include ceramics as part of their art practice.

Diana working in the studio.

Diana has figured out how to make a living as a ceramicist by diversifying her income streams. She’s designed collections for Heath Ceramics and Anthropologie, taught workshops, done logo design, and much more. Diana explains where her income comes from and how she figures out what to pursue and what to leave behind.

Several years ago while teaching at Squam Art Workshops she got into a conversation with other instructors about teaching online. Diana became inspired to create an online class to teach ceramics, something nobody had yet done. We talk about how she did it and get into the nitty-gritty of developing an online class by yourself.

Scrimshaw inspired platter by Diana Fayt.

We mention:

• Ruzuku – an all-in-one hosting site for online class creators
• Misty Mawn whose generosity helped Diana begin teaching online
• The Artists’ Studio in the Foothills
• Diana’s Creativebug classes
• Lisa Congdon’s generous help and advice
• Moving from San Fransisco to a more rural location and putting down new roots

And, of course, I ask Diana to recommend some stuff she’s loving right now. Diana recommends:

• Japanese handkerchiefs (she never leaves home without one)
• a daily sketchbook practice (check out her sketchbook in Instagram)

Diana’s offers two online classes at her site, The Clayer. Surface Patterns and Molds begins tomorrow if you’d like to sign up.

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This week’s episode is sponsored by Creativebug. Use the code NAPS at checkout for a free month-long subscription. You’ll get access to every single class offered and watch as little or as much as you’d like.  And you’ll be supporting the Craft Industry Alliance podcast at the same time. Thanks, Creativebug!

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