Artist Spotlight: Daniel Del Real

About Daniel

"I’m a multidisciplinary artist who never really cared for ceramics. Last year I was awarded a fellowship known as the Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship. With the funding I received from it, I travelled to Japan for a month in February and March visiting 19 cities in total. While I was in Kyoto, I noticed pottery everywhere and I began to appreciate it. When I returned to Indy I remembered I had a friend who offers classes and by June I was taking my first class. I’ve since been hooked and don’t show signs of stopping anytime soon!"

Q: What inspires your work or keeps you excited in the studio? 

A: "I’m inspired by my Mexican upbringing and pre-Colombian pottery tradition. I have always enjoyed creating modern interpretations of ancient Mesó-American designs in my practice. With my pottery, I’m doing a lot of the same but fusing it with Asian objects. Right now, I’ve been obsessed with creating bonsai pots and tea sets, but with elements of Mesó pottery like three-legged and bulbous design. Mexico is not a big tea country so imagine a teapot inspired by a Molcajete, an ancient lava stone mortar used to grind spices."

Q: What is your favorite AMACO Product and Why?

A: "I’ve just begun my clay journey and have not had the opportunity to try many products yet but the Velvet Underglazes were very important in bringing to life my conchitas.

I mixed one part Teddy Bear Brown to two parts Ivory Beige to get the perfect color for the buns. I then used Coral for the strawberry concha custard, Light Brown for the chocolate concha custard, and a 1:1 mix of Ivory Beige and White for the vanilla concha custard."

Any advice you'd give to someone just starting out with clay? 

A: "My advice to somebody starting with clay is to not be afraid of the clay. If you have an idea for something, visualize in your mind what that finished product looks like and work toward it. Ask questions or look up tutorials that you can use to get you through each step, and don’t get discouraged if you mess up. If you mess up, you now know what to do to make it right. More importantly, enjoy the process, let that process be therapy and not frustration. If you’re frustrated, maybe this isn’t for you."

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