BEHIND THE BOOTH
Shaping Community Through Clay with Natalie Pellegrini of NP Clayworks
NATALIE PELLEGRINI IS THE ARTIST BEHIND NP CLAYWORKS, A CERAMICS BUSINESS SHE STARTED IN 2020. SPECIALIZING IN FUNCTIONAL HOME GOODS LIKE MUGS AND TINY LIDDED JARS, HER WORK HAS EVOLVED INTO A DISTINCTIVE GOTHIC-MEETS-WHIMSICAL STYLE.
BEHIND THE BOOTH
Shaping Community Through Clay with Natalie Pellegrini of NP Clayworks
NATALIE PELLEGRINI IS THE ARTIST BEHIND NP CLAYWORKS, A CERAMICS BUSINESS SHE STARTED IN 2020. SPECIALIZING IN FUNCTIONAL HOME GOODS LIKE MUGS AND TINY LIDDED JARS, HER WORK HAS EVOLVED INTO A DISTINCTIVE GOTHIC-MEETS-WHIMSICAL STYLE.
What advice do you have for those wanting to start making and designing products?
My advice for beginning potters, especially those who are going to learn wheel throwing, is be nice to yourself and be patient. Pottery is an art that relies heavily on trying and failing, with a lot of failing in the beginning. So be patient and keep at it, it’s an art that takes months to master the basics in.
What do you love most about your creative path?
I am a show and tell kid at heart so I absolutely love that pottery allows me to make something with my hands and then weeks later have something tangible that I made. The fact that people then want to take those pieces home with them is a bonus I didn’t even think about when I started.
What are two goals that you have for your company this year?
My first goal for this year is to double my sales of last year. NP Clayworks is still a young business so I’m really trying to push sales growth. On that same topic, my second goal is to increase online sales and activity.
How do you see your role as an artist and maker evolving in the future?
As a future artist, I hope to streamline my systems a little bit. Maybe rely on in person markets less and focus on more passive streams of selling my works which will allow me to play more as an artist.
Is there anything about the art market scene in Los Angeles that you’d want to change?
The market scene in LA right now is thriving which is incredible but also makes some of the flaws of markets really stand out. For me the top two things I would change are the prices of some markets and the curation of markets. There are some events charging very high fees with little marketing or promoting which can leave vendors wondering where their fees are going. Curation is also big to me because I don’t ever want to feel in competition with other potters but if I’m 1/4 at an event with only say 12 – 15 vendors it can feel very oversaturated.
What’s your favorite part of the process: having the idea, design the components, creation, or finishing?
My favorite part of the process over the last five years has consistently been step one, throwing on the wheel. I just enjoy taking a lump of clay and turning it into something so much, it’s the only time I can truly turn my brain off.
“Whenever I am feeling a creative block coming on I just try to make things that I’ve made in the past, usually sitting down and making mugs which are my favorite form. If the idea of attaching a handle is too much I may just throw a vase and play in that form a little bit. Sometimes if the burnout is real I just allow myself a day to read a book and cuddle with my dog, it usually does the trick.”
– Natalie Pellegrini
Do you have any advice that you’d love to share with your younger self, if you could?
Don’t sell yourself short, literally and figuratively.
What’s a dream project that you want to create someday?
I have had it in my head to make a full line of Dungeons and Dragons class inspired mugs for almost two years now, completely that would be incredible.
How do you handle creative blocks or periods of low motivation?
Whenever I am feeling a creative block coming on I just try to make things that I’ve made in the past, usually sitting down and making mugs which are my favorite form. If the idea of attaching a handle is too much I may just throw a vase and play in that form a little bit. Sometimes if the burnout is real I just allow myself a day to read a book and cuddle with my dog, it usually does the trick. There’s nothing wrong with a rest day.
What’s the most rewarding part of running your own creative business?
For me the most rewarding part of running my own business is being able to meet such incredible people and then have them fall in love with a little thing of clay that I made. The amount of conversations and connections that have come out of people interacting with me and my work is just incredible.
How do you maintain your artistic integrity while meeting market demands?
I told myself early on that if I was going to pursue markets and making pottery as a business that I would allow myself to have fun during the creative process because throwing on the wheel was so magical to me, I didn’t want to ruin it. I try to find a balance by not being too strict with product type and design which accidentally became part of my brand. Because I allow myself to play and explore my products span a wide variety of styles for people to choose from.
We truly enjoyed getting to know Natalie and sharing her inspiring story, along with her words of wisdom for fellow artists.