with Maddie of Maddie Deere Ceramics
Welcome to my new blog series! I am always fascinated by the thoughts and processes of other creative people and love hearing the why and how behind creative brands, so I thought you guys might be interested too! Into the Minds of Creatives will be a regular series featuring fellow artists/makers/creators whose work I love and a little bit of insight into the way they work and why. I hope you like it!
My first contributor is Maddie Deere, who makes ceramics that are beautiful, functional, and a little cheeky in her Adelaide Hills based studio. I first discovered Maddie through her ceramics course (which I highly recommend if you live in South Australia!), and am a big fan of her work. As well as selling her pieces in several local homeware and design stores, she has an online shop – I will link to that and her Instagram below. Now over to Maddie!
I started Maddie Deere Ceramics as a passion project…
I started Maddie Deere Ceramics as a passion project, which turned into a hobby business and then into a full time business. There isn’t a lot of scope for working as a ceramic artist if you aren’t prepared to work for yourself. I finished studying ceramics at Uni SA in 2012 and always knew that working full time as a potter was my dream job. I have been working hard for the last few years to make that dream a reality.
I chose the craft of ceramics because…
My first memories of working with clay were those air dry kits that my mum bought me when I was a kid. I always was drawn to making functional pieces even then. By the time I had finished high school I knew that I got a real kick out of making functional objects that I could use, and the joy of that has never really gone away. I love the process of turning a blob of clay into something beautiful and functional.
What I hope people take away from my work…
I would like people to make a connection with my work. I think there’s something special about hand made pieces, where the person who uses it can really feel that someone’s hands crafted that piece. I like to make people laugh with my work, and I hope that my pieces come across as an authentic offering, and say something true about who I am.
I feed my creativity by…
I think that slowing down has a huge impact on my creativity. Taking time to notice the simple pleasures in life and not filling my days with too many things. When I give myself room to relax and play, I make more time for my creativity to surface. I have always loved the process of creating something out of the raw materials, and I suppose I just allow myself time to follow those creative urges.
and I find inspiration…
Honestly it could be anywhere. It could be finding a shape that I love and want to recreate, or taking something away from visual art, fashion or nature that I think would make an interesting component to a ceramic piece. Sometimes inspiration comes from conversations with friends, wandering through a shop or gallery, or just going for a walk. Usually something I see will spark a thought, and I’ll take the idea to the studio and see how I can make that idea into a reality.
my absolute favourite part about what i do…
I am still obsessed with the fact that I can make something with my hands that becomes a finished product that I can use. Every single cup, plate and bowl in my kitchen I have made myself, and still get a thrill out of that. I love being able to think “I need a new sugar bowl, or teapot etc” and then I can just go and make exactly what I need.
my top five
movies:
The Royal Tenenbaums + Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels + Fantastic Mr Fox + Howl’s Moving Castle + The Departed
ways to wind down:
A bath, book and glass of wine + A walk + Knitting + Gardening + Binge watching makeover shows
things I never leave home without:
Lip balm + Hand cream + An extra layer of clothing + Sunglasses + My phone
things to drink:
Madura leaf tea + Coffee + Soda water + Pinot Gris + Peppermint tea
workday snacks:
I literally never remember to eat when I am working because I always lose track of time, but if I did these would be it!
Chips and dip + Sea salt dark chocolate + Gingerbread biscuits + Soya crisps + Peanut butter or Vegemite sandwich
You can find Maddie’s work here:
Here is her website and online shop and here is her instagram.
All photos in this post are taken, with her permission, from Maddie’s Instagram.
