Meet Tanner Sawitz | Ceramicist
We had the good fortune of connecting with Tanner Sawitz and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Tanner, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I think a lot of people always strive to have “good” work/life balance, meaning sort of a 50/50. But if you’re really pursuing something you’re passionate about, or even just trying to make real progress on an endeavor, you might have to temporarily shift that a bit. It might look like 80/20 or even 90/10, geared towards work, in order to get through a challenging time and do what you need to do. For me, when things get crazy, I tend to reflect on the slow times where I didn’t have much going on, and try to find an appreciation of the craziness and long hours. I think during these 90/10 times I just put my head down and work until I’m done, which could be days or weeks. But everything is temporary, whether you’re cranking on a project or even at a job you dislike, and it helps to keep that in mind.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Very few people do the precise type of art that I do. Small scale, porcelain, crystal-glazed pottery is extremely rare, and for good reason: it’s SUPER difficult! Over many years I have been able to overcome technical challenges in this medium, which is so hard to get into that most people never even try – that being crystal glazing in general. On top of that, I also incorporate luster application, post fire alcohol drip reductions, acid etching, and strike firing, which all interact differently with each other, especially on smaller scale work. Because of all this, a lot of what I do is more about the process, rather than a super creative art form. It is creative, of course, but so much of my progress as an artist has come down to testing and mastering different steps in the process. A lesson I’ve learned that I would love for others to take to heart is: with enough time and dedicated practice, you will see improvement in whatever you’re doing. I’ve been doing this for 15 years and it is exciting to still strive for improvements every day. Never stop growing!
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m awful at knowing the touristy stuff in my city! I would probably force them to play pickleball at the local courts. Then make them eat vegan food (I’m vegetarian) somewhere in Los Angeles. Maybe we would pop up to Big Bear for some skiing or hit an art fair in Laguna Beach.
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?
My dad Jerry Sawitz deserves more credit than I can explain! I took his ceramics class way back in high school and became obsessed with throwing on the wheel and clay in general. He has taught me nearly everything I know about the medium and we continue to work together to this day, in the same studio. We do art shows together and talk every day about pottery to some degree. He is the reason I work in clay!
Instagram: @tsawitzceramics
Facebook: Tanner Sawitz Ceramics
Other: http://www.stonecoyote.la
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