#howiAMACO InstaFeature - Ave Rivera

Ave Rivera

Instagram: @averiverastudio
Website: www.averivera.com

Every time Ave's work pops up on our Instagram feed, this girl always has us smiling. The punny witticisms and adorable faces bring her work to life on so many different levels while the heart, cloud, and cartoonish animal imagery that frequent her work companied with bold pops of color and gold lustre always make for bright, cheery pieces.

How did you come to be interested in working with clay?

I've always loved working with my hands, but I didn't take my first ceramics class until my third year of college. I fell in love with the medium instantly, and it only grew from there once I realized how much there is to learn about it.

What inspires your work?

I think a lot about relationships and emotions. I'm interested in human interactions even if they make me uncomfortable; I'm a naturally shy person. I also get ideas from my personal experiences.

What's your favorite thing about clay?

I love the community aspect of it. Clay inherently brings people together.

Which AMACO products do you always find yourself going back to? How do these products speak to your work?

I absolutely LOVE color so I always go back to the Velvet Underglazes. My use of color speaks to the playfulness I infuse my work with.

If you were an ice cream flavor, what would you be and why?

Chunky Monkey, because I'm sweet, a little fruity, and a little nuts.

Who was your childhood hero?

Sailor Moon

What element do you most closely identify with?

I would totally be an airbender (Avatar, anyone?)