Introducing Tara from Clay Designs by Tara. Where every item is handmade!! From her home in Mildura, Victoria, Tara hand makes all of her amazing creations.
Find out why Tara started creating and why she is so passionate about the value of handmade.
Tell us about your creations and your handmade process.
All my pottery pieces on are both wheel thrown or hand built, they are glazed and fired by me in my home studio. My glazing process is either brush on or dipping glazes. I like to apply underglaze transfers or hand paint with colour. I also love to apply texture using doilies or objects from my garden like flowers, leaves and rocks - techniques like Sgraffito (carving) or Mishima (clay in-lay)
Tell us a bit about your journey to becoming a handmade artist.
I have always loved creating, I’ve tried many handmade crafts from Sewing, Crochet, Knitting to Patchwork, Stitchery, Doll and Teddy Bear making over the years.
Pottery is my new forever love - it makes me feel so happy and I love sharing that love with everyone. There is a little piece of me in every item I create.
What is your inspiration or where do you find inspiration?
I find a lot of my inspiration from gardens. I love adding texture, so I’m always looking for beautiful plants and flowers to embed into my pieces.
I find inspiration from pottery videos on Instagram and Pinterest. Custom orders push me to create and design what the customers have requested. I love challenging myself.
Where did you learn your craft?
I attended lessons at a local pottery club, where I instantly fell in love with clay and creating. After learning the basics I continued my journey into this new world of ceramics. I signed up for online Masterclasses and continued to learn through trial and error, so I guess most is self-taught.
Creating Ceramics is my form of self-care, allowing me to slow down and create beautiful pieces for my home and for others to enjoy too.
Why is handmade artistry so important to you?
Each piece I create is unique and no two are exactly the same. Unlike items made by machines, handmade is unique and you can’t buy that in a big store. I love leaving an artist touch to all my pieces. I also love to buy handmade, because I know how much love and attention to detail the maker has put into that product. It’s a good feeling.
