Diana Fayt

It's about time for another post about the Bay Area Pottery Posse. These ladies are truly amazing. Not only do they create delicious bodies of work but they have an unparalleled skill for marketing themselves which I greatly admire.

Onto Diana Fayt specifically, though... I can remember the very first time I came face to face with Fayts beautiful pottery. It was a few years ago and I had stumbled into a new shop on 16th Street between Valencia and Guerrero Streets... The shop was called CandyStore and generously dispersed throughout the quaint shop was the work of local artist Diana Fayt. I had just recently rekindled my relationship with clay and was falling in love the second time around (sometimes that's how it happens). Fayt's fantastic use of bold colors, sketchy botanical motifs, and wabi-sabi forms inspired me immediately. As I have watched Fayt's style delicately evolve I become more and more fond and inspired by her work and her business.  

I had the pleasure of meeting Fayt at Molly Hatch's workshop last weekend and she was just as lovely and perfectly relaxed as her work. Such a pleasant surprise. Though I have to say, few ceramists have ever proven otherwise, so it wasn't really a surprise, more a confirmation.  (We clay folk are just nice people I guess.)

Fayt has a huge body of work and there are many images I could share with you, but I decided to stick to one form, my favorite-- her Canteen Vase, to highlight the beautiful illustration work.  The artist's process is one she describes as self-developed and neither mishima nor sgrafitto. I can't figure out how she does it either but it's a great process however it works. I can't wait to take her workshop one of these days... Speaking of-- Fayt is offering a whole slough of workshops this summer, unfortunately none in the Bay Area, which you can find out more about on her new blog.

Fayt is also currently showing new work at Gumps San Francisco along with a few other Posse members including Josie Jurczenia, Rae Dunn, and Whitney Smith. If you can't make it, check out Fayt's Etsy shop instead and then become her fan on Facebook so you won't miss the next time she shows or teaches in your area.

(images via artist's etsy shop)