Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Vazquez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us, Andrea. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have always had a crave for the arts since I was a kid, but it wasn’t until college that I actually took an art class. After high school, I spent a year studying Marine Biology at UCSC, but after a lot of thought, I decided to come back to SD. After coming back from UC Santa Cruz, unsure of what career path I wanted, I decided to take my first ceramic class in 2016 at City College. I was exploring my options as an undergraduate student and I fell in love with clay and agriculture. City College offered entrepreneur classes that motivated me to grow as an artist and taught me to be confident in my creations. Since then, I have been continuing my journey as a ceramist, learning about glazes, throwing on the wheel and how clay is made.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Everyone faces struggles in life, and it is no different for an entrepreneur. I currently have two part-time jobs, do ceramics during my spare nights and go to school pursuing my Agricultural Plant Science degree. At times the workload of doing both sciences and arts can get overwhelming, but I would not have it any other way. I think one of my hardest struggles has been reminding myself that I can pursue two different careers and be successful at both. When I began taking ceramics classes, I struggled to learn how to throw on the wheel, but each day I learned something new from my mistakes and it motivated me on a day to day basis. It is one of the many reasons why I fell in love with making ceramic art. It is okay to make mistakes in life because it is what teaches us and allows us to grow as individuals.
Please tell us about Kiwi Ceramics.
I produce and sell ceramic work from ceramic pots for your plants to bowls and plates for your dining table. Most of my work is thrown on the wheel, but I do enjoy hand-building pieces here and there. My work is deeply influenced by my Mexican ancestral roots, and I try my best to show that in my work. I would say that I am most known for my speckled mugs, and handmade ceramic candle sets. I am not a production ceramist, I like to take my time on my pieces which allows me to add not only uniqueness but positive energy and love into each piece.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I don’t often like to go into hypothetical thoughts, but if I had the ability to start over, I would have been more confident with my work from the start. Unfortunately, there are folks who take advantage of up and coming artist and their business, and due to criticism, I often charged less for my work.
Contact Info:
- Email: vazquezandrea68@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/la0kiwi/?hl=en
Image Credit:
Amaury Chagoya
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