Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Pendl.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I first fell in love with ceramics about 15 year ago, in a high school art class. I remember being completely captivated by the medium and enamored with how clay could be malleable, yet then become stone and permanent. At the time, being an artist full-time wasn’t something that I had seen modeled, so when I left for college, I didn’t even consider ceramics as a career path, but kept practicing as a hobby and passion.
After college, I spent many years working in retail, including new store/market openings across the US and developing local community outreach, while concurrently becoming yoga teacher certified. During yoga training, I had an idea for a software solution within the yoga community, so then I decided to go back to school for web-development (specializing in full-stack Ruby on Rails) and build that company. Following that, I decided to invest in a local yoga studio, and using my retail and build-out experience, we opened a new location, and I eventually left that venture to develop Karacotta full-time.
Throughout my career, I had been quietly developing my ceramic skills as my stress-relieving hobby. A few years ago, I dove into my personal development and kept asking, “What makes me happiest?”…the answer was always ceramics. To bring Karacotta Ceramics alive, I leaned heavily on my experience of retail for understanding what would sell, brand positioning, and why people buy, community connection for collaborations and feedback, web development for my online shop, and yoga/spirituality, as that is a community a lot of my products serve.
In hindsight, I’m so happy my career path took the twists and turns that it did, because everything has come together now, in the perfect way!
Please tell us about your art.
I make ceramic wares! They are foremost designed with functionality in mind; each piece is handmade on the wheel, to achieve a simple, modern, organic aesthetic. This unique craftsmanship ensures no two pieces are created exactly the same, with slight variations in shape, size and glaze.
During the creation process, each Karacotta piece is touched no less than ten times, equaling several hours of specific attention. After the design stage, each piece of clay is weighed, thrown on the wheel, left to dry overnight, trimmed, sponged and sanded, bone-dried, bisque fired, sponged and sanded again, glaze fired, and finally inspected, stamped, and delivered.
I find functional pottery to be an incredible intersection of art, daily life, nature and metaphor. While I appreciate and adore art that is behind glass, or not intended to be touched, that’s not what I’m called to make. I want my work to interrupt daily drudgery and improve your day-to-day experience – be it making your cup of coffee look oh-so-enticing, or our Smudge Dish acting as a statement piece on your mantle, while also purifying the air. I always want Karacotta to feel approachable and easy, with an evergreen design…the end goal is that pieces are passed down through generations, but at the same time, they’ve actually been used.
I find clay a fascinating medium because it is naturally of the earth and soil, which we will all go back to at some point. I also adore the fact that it starts so malleable, flexible and sensitive, and then transitions to something strong, powerful and durable – the transition lends itself to constant creative problem solving and learning.
Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
My advice for lifestyle artists (meaning folks who are creating with the intention that they will live solely off of their art income) and what I wish I would have implemented earlier, is to get really clear on your marketing strategy. It does not need to be complicated, but so much financial success will be tied back to this piece, and it’s worth investing the time and effort into this area of your business.
I also wish I would have learned earlier, that it’s okay to piss people of and say “NO” to projects that don’t resonate or where I don’t think the other party values my work. As a life-long people pleaser, and fan of external validation, this has been a big learning for me in the past year. But, what I’ve found is that having the courage to say no and walk away from some things, has kept my calendar open for the projects that are a “heck yes,” and I just feel so much more energetically aligned with my true north and purpose.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I’m based in Austin, TX and I work out of an all-female art collective called Broad Studios. Our studio is in the maker community of Springdale General, and we are open most days! Karacotta is available 24/7 on www.karacotta.com, and you can also see a list of upcoming markets and workshops (I teach Ceramics 101 at Broad Studios). I also actively post process photos and new pieces on my Instagram: @Karacotta_Ceramics – feel free to send me questions or feedback there as well!
Contact Info:
- Address: Broad Studios
1023 Springdale Road
Suite 6D
Austin, TX 78721 - Website: www.karacotta.com
- Email: hello@karacotta.com
- Instagram: karacotta_ceramics
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karacottaceramics/
- Other: www.broadstudiosatx.com
Image Credit:
Ideology Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
