Sunday, April 04, 2004
Heather said in regards to a question about more Nautical Collection items....
"ABSOLUTELY! The next nautical release will be a seaside village of candle houses called
Barnacle Bay.This will include mermaids rock and a seiner fishing boat among
the highlights.
Clayworks' Nautical Collections takes you to see all of Heather's current Nautical Collections including Wall Decor, Mermaids, Lighthouses, Sailboats and much more.
"ABSOLUTELY! The next nautical release will be a seaside village of candle houses called
Barnacle Bay.This will include mermaids rock and a seiner fishing boat among
the highlights.
Clayworks' Nautical Collections takes you to see all of Heather's current Nautical Collections including Wall Decor, Mermaids, Lighthouses, Sailboats and much more.
Below is Heather Goldminc's response to an email from a fan (named Ashley) who wanted to do a school project on Heather's "Ashley" piece in the My Hometown Collection. Heather was kind enough to help her out. We have printed Heather's letter below:
Dear Ashley:
Thank you for your kind letter regarding my piece "Ashley".
I created this piece about 3 years ago and named her after my own niece who is also named Ashley. I don't ever remember seeing her with out her cat in her arms. She is now 21 and also a first year college student.
All of my character pieces, human or animal, are all based on the people in my life. For instance:
* the "Monkey Brothers" are my two brothers, Greg and Richard; * the Alligator is my Grandpa; and * the "Grinning Bear Brothers" are my Son and Step Son, who hope to own an air line together some day.
The better you know your characters, the better and clearer they come across as sculpted works.
I began my love affair with clay and glazes at age five, and was really nurtured by my art teachers all through high school. Art school was a dissappointment to me as art is not the easiest thing to teach (I found it very stifling). As you see in my work, straight lines and proportions are not as important as whimsy and movement (try explaining that to your mechanical drawing teachers).
I grew up in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where I also met my husband, who is 17 years my senior. He really understood and supported my need to have a creative career, so he purchased my first kiln when I was 23 years old, and I was in business. I then began knocking on doors in the trendy areas of Vancouver and, very quickly, had a following. It was important that I kept my lines exclusive to one store per demographic area and that I worked directly with the store owners so that I could cater to their price, colour, and style needs. It was a winning combo for us all.
After 10 years of working with one assistant and with my husband handeling the financial and business operations, I was approached by a head hunter from the Van Group who wanted to take my work and create a new division for a company called "Blue Sky". My Clayworks line is called a "Signature Line" because my name and face are a big part of the selling feature. This type of recognition is valuable to me as I will be expanding my art into many other mediums, including paper, plush, and furniture.
After four years with the Van group, my work is now featured in North America, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, and more.
On a more personal note, I am 37 years old, have been married for 16 years, and have two beautiful children (Carson age 15 and Rachel age 10). I also have two step sons and a brand new grand-baby that I was lucky enough to be in the room with when she was born. My daughter-in-law is 28 and one of my best friends. She is staying at our house this weekend while we are in Minnesota doing "shopNBC". Life is busy and full.
The best advice I can give you is to choose a career that is your passion. Money and fame are secondary because your heart and head will be no different than when you began. Even though people may treat you differently after success, it is the long term relationships with family and friends that keep you grounded and feeling at home.
I hope this is useful for your report. I would love to receive a copy of it when it is completed.
Dear Ashley:
Thank you for your kind letter regarding my piece "Ashley".
I created this piece about 3 years ago and named her after my own niece who is also named Ashley. I don't ever remember seeing her with out her cat in her arms. She is now 21 and also a first year college student.
All of my character pieces, human or animal, are all based on the people in my life. For instance:
* the "Monkey Brothers" are my two brothers, Greg and Richard; * the Alligator is my Grandpa; and * the "Grinning Bear Brothers" are my Son and Step Son, who hope to own an air line together some day.
The better you know your characters, the better and clearer they come across as sculpted works.
I began my love affair with clay and glazes at age five, and was really nurtured by my art teachers all through high school. Art school was a dissappointment to me as art is not the easiest thing to teach (I found it very stifling). As you see in my work, straight lines and proportions are not as important as whimsy and movement (try explaining that to your mechanical drawing teachers).
I grew up in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where I also met my husband, who is 17 years my senior. He really understood and supported my need to have a creative career, so he purchased my first kiln when I was 23 years old, and I was in business. I then began knocking on doors in the trendy areas of Vancouver and, very quickly, had a following. It was important that I kept my lines exclusive to one store per demographic area and that I worked directly with the store owners so that I could cater to their price, colour, and style needs. It was a winning combo for us all.
After 10 years of working with one assistant and with my husband handeling the financial and business operations, I was approached by a head hunter from the Van Group who wanted to take my work and create a new division for a company called "Blue Sky". My Clayworks line is called a "Signature Line" because my name and face are a big part of the selling feature. This type of recognition is valuable to me as I will be expanding my art into many other mediums, including paper, plush, and furniture.
After four years with the Van group, my work is now featured in North America, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, and more.
On a more personal note, I am 37 years old, have been married for 16 years, and have two beautiful children (Carson age 15 and Rachel age 10). I also have two step sons and a brand new grand-baby that I was lucky enough to be in the room with when she was born. My daughter-in-law is 28 and one of my best friends. She is staying at our house this weekend while we are in Minnesota doing "shopNBC". Life is busy and full.
The best advice I can give you is to choose a career that is your passion. Money and fame are secondary because your heart and head will be no different than when you began. Even though people may treat you differently after success, it is the long term relationships with family and friends that keep you grounded and feeling at home.
I hope this is useful for your report. I would love to receive a copy of it when it is completed.
New Blog on Clayworks by Heather Goldminc.
We'll post news on new creations, sales, and emails from Heather. Check out the web site www.heather-goldminc.com for news too.
We'll post news on new creations, sales, and emails from Heather. Check out the web site www.heather-goldminc.com for news too.
