A world of clay
Shistine has always had a creative mind, and one of her outlets is polymer clay. She tells us about her current creations, her favourite thing about ceramics, and invites us to take a peek into her daily life.
Hello, who are you?
Hi! I'm Shistine. Originally from Northern Illinois, I have been living in Austin, Texas for the past four years.
Tell us about your creative journey, when did you start clay making?
I've been playing with clay, honestly, since I can remember. My mother’s a creatively minded person and noticed that I was as well at a young age. I first started with polymer clay as a kid, then my mum took me to my first ceramics class for wheel throwing when I was around 10 and I fell even more in love with clay. Since then I've done ceramics off and on, whenever I can find access to a studio since ceramics requires a lot more special equipment than polymer clay. I had played with polymer clay a bit still, but just for figurines and whatnot. I had no idea the elegant earring side of polymer clay even existed. I was working out of a ceramics studio in Austin when COVID hit last March. The studio was shut down and I was left without my creative outlet and stuck at home… enter polymer clay!
What inspires your current collection, with snowy landscapes and little red houses?
Thank you! Growing up in Illinois I've always loved the magic of the winter season. I started making these pieces in ceramic right after I moved to Texas, so maybe that was me missing the snow, since seasons don't really exist in Austin. But at the time I didn't really think about that or why, I just made it, knew that I loved it, and couldn't stop making them. However, houses became a big part of my work when I was in college studying fine art photography. That's where I really explored my artistic voice. What I enjoy about houses is their ability to contain so much, physically and emotionally, all inside one simple little shape. It's easy to take in with the eyes, calm and not intrusive, but the longer you look the more you realise is there.
What do you enjoy most about ceramics?
I love that working with ceramics is like getting to know someone. They have a personality, they have opinions, they like certain things, and don't like certain things. It's a medium where you truly need to learn how to get along with something that is sometimes out of your control. It’s those human qualities that it has that I love and hate about it at times, just like you would a partner.
What does a normal day look like for you?
A normal day for me right now is very different than a year ago, and I’m sure a lot of us can agree, so it still doesn't feel very normal. I was lucky to be one of the people who’s jobs converted to work from home quite well. So in the morning I roll out of bed and take five steps to my desk and I’m there for the next eight hours working as a production artist. After work is when I spend time with polymer clay. But if not playing with clay, you can catch me rewatching my favourite TV shows while eating a dinner that my loving boyfriend probably cooked for me.
What puts you in the mood to create?
Having a whole day free! Working a regular 9-5 job really makes you value whole days you get to yourself. I love waking up on a Saturday with no other plans than to do whatever I want.
Tell us about your creative space. Where does all the magic happen?
My “studio” is a small corner of the apartment that contains my full-time jobs work desk, my boyfriend's desk, and my other desk I use for clay. Every time I look at it I am impressed at how much we’ve been able to fit in this little apartment we have. It's not fancy, or clean most of the time, but I love what can come out of it.
Texas, United States
