Today we’d like to introduce you to Allyssa Tipton
Hi Allyssa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Years ago I got an art degree from Mankato State in photography. I didn’t take many other classes than those so I never got to try pottery. It had always been an interest but I never really pursued it as things came up during life. Three years ago, my wonderful husband decided to sign me up for a pottery class at the Lakeville Area Art Center as a Mother’s Day gift. He wanted to give me a chance to start a new hobby away from kids and the stress of normal life. I instantly fell in love with pottery. I took consecutive classes for two years and then became a teacher at that studio. Last year I started vending at stores and local markets. I absolutely love sharing my craft with the world and bringing art into the community. Pottery has opened up several new doors for me. Last year I connected with a fellow potter in Prior Lake, and together we host the Pleasant Street Art Walk every year in September. I feel so grateful to be a part of the art community here in Minnesota and am still searching out ways to enhance people’s lives with pottery as it has with mine.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Pottery is basically all about struggling until you finally make something you want to keep. I primarily make wheel-thrown items and it takes a while to make something worth keeping on the wheel. Every point in the pottery process introduces opportunities for your pieces to break or fail. I always say, never fall in love with something until you have it in your hand at the very end. Everything up until that point is an experiment.
Over the course of my journey I have gone from using studio facilities to setting up a home studio. I have a wheel and kiln at home and all my own tools. There was a period in between where I was selling my work, but I didn’t have my own kiln yet so I relied on the community kilns. It was hard to not be in control of my own process but I managed. Then one day at a market I was approached by a former potter who asked if I had a kiln. I replied that I was saving up for one, and she offered me her old kiln for the price of two of my mugs. I instantly gave her two mugs and picked up the kiln the next day. Being an older kiln, it’s needed some electrical work and has its quirks, but it’s been an incredible learning experience. My hope is to use funds from market sales to upgrade my kiln to a more modern and reliable one.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My work functional pottery, inspired by nature. After all, pottery is made from mud. It feels so grounding to work with clay in your hands and create something from the earth. I also try to be as sustainable as possible in my life and in my art. Any clay that hasn’t been fired can be recycled into new clay. Almost nothing in pottery is one-time use. In fact, some of my favorite tools are repurposed kitchen utensils or super old pieces of things. I love to add floral and natural elements to my pieces to bring nature to everyday life. I feel that the more we can connect with nature, the more we will be willing to take care of it.
What makes you happy?
Making connections with others at markets or classes is what brings me happiness. Talking about my process, my mindset and my intentions is so important to me. Having someone pick up a piece I made and deciding to add that joy to their life brings me so much happiness. Since I make primarily dinnerware, I imagine my pieces at their dinner table, creating conversation and connection. Sharing my struggles or broken pieces or failures is just as exciting to me as sharing my wins and successful pieces.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://allyssatiptonpottery.square.site
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/allyssatiptonpottery
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/allyssatiptonpottery
