Meet Sophia Aussant | Ceramic Artist & Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sophia Aussant and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sophia, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve been obsessed with art ever since I can remember. As a child I drew on everything; myself, the walls, even occasionally on paper. It wasn’t until my freshman year of high school that I had a chance to actually work with clay. There was an instant spark and from there I signed up for as many clay classes as I could. I started with hand building and then moved to the wheel. I started staying late and spending my lunch periods working on my projects in the studio. I would even leave some of my regular classes, usually math, to go check on my pots. I was blessed with a great ceramic program at my high school and I learned as much as I could the 4 years that I was there. My junior year, I had already pretty much figured out that I wanted this to be my full time job. I wanted to be able to create for a career, and I was extremely fortunate to have a solid support system who would stand behind and encourage my choice. Finding this art form has changed my life and I can honestly say that I don’t know where I would be or what I would be doing with out it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My work has gone through many changes throughout my career. Quickly after I started working with clay I had the urge to start experimenting with my pieces. I enjoyed carving most of all. What started as random lines and patterns blossomed into me carving with purpose and passion years later. My current work plays with dark and light through color and texture. Though I enjoy creating the original form, my true love is in altering the surface design. Taking clay away through carving, adding clay through sculpture. Combining sculpture with a thrown or hand built vessel has been one of my obsessions this past year. I love adding faces to pretty much everything. Flower pots, mugs, vases, rings. I’ll have a vision for the piece but as a face takes form, so does a personality. Pots with personality, they end up taking the reins and forging their own way! Within the past two years I’ve changed my outlook on glazing as well. I use many different techniques, my favorite being spray glazing. Using a spray gun I can shade, fade, and intertwine different colors. I can use it to best support my carving, I can even create an ombré effect. I don’t like to put my artistic style in a box, my style varies, making it hard for my work to fit into that box anyways. It has definitely been a journey to get to where I am today, and I have big plans to go much further! I’ve been extremely fortunate and have come across some amazing artists who have taken me under their wing, let me use their studios, their materials, and have offered me their guidance. Of course at times, it’s been difficult. Most people who choose this path face their fair share of judgement and ridicule from those who value a more traditional career. Being your own boss you’re in charge of absolutely everything, which can be overwhelming. You’re planning the projects, you’re doing all the creating, you’re doing the marketing, you ship everything, you order supplies, you work events, it’s a lot to handle. When I feel like it’s getting to be all too much, I take a step back and remember why I chose this. I remember the feeling I get when I look back at my work and am just so proud of what I’ve accomplished. The joy I feel when I open the kiln to find my finish project even more beautiful than I imagined! Like anything, it’s going to be hard at times. But that’s what makes your successes oh so sweet.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people who have helped me along the way that I’d like to thank. But most of all I’d like to dedicate this shoutout to my parents. Their endless support and encouragement has helped me more than I can say. Not many parents would be so supportive when their child says that they want to be an artist for a living! They’re always quick to defend my choices when someone passes judgment and I can always turn to them for advise. They have done everything possible to set me up for success. For everything, thank you. Thank you so much.

Website: https://sophia-rose-pottery.square.site

Instagram: sophia.rose.pottery

Facebook: Sophia Rose Pottery

Image Credits
Kristen Vallejo