1. Favorite things in life?

calling people i love on the phone, dogs, surfing, yoga, camping, traveling, reading, eating, coffee, making art, crying a good cry

2. Biggest artistic inspiration?

the beauty that comes with (people/nature/art) working with flaws instead of against it

dinnerware of the 15th-20th century, including the fiesta tableware craze, cy twombly, sarah duyer aka pot punisher, kintsugi, oaxacan pottery, and just the lil things

3. When did art become an interest for you? Was pottery what you initially gravitated toward?

i have loved artmaking for as long as i can remember, and i've always gravitated more toward the process of artmaking than the product. i'm a chronic overthinker and tend to have a perfectionist mindset, but there is something about making things with my hands that completely pulls me out of that. so i've tried just about every medium under the sun, but focused mostly on drawing and writing growing up because it was most accessible.

other than a college class, it wasn't until i was stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic that i decided to really give pottery a try. i love how messy it is! and i love that i can make functional art to use every day. there's a special sense of accomplishment i feel when drinking from a mug i made or gifting a loved one a plant in a freshly thrown pot. it also challenges that perfectionist mindset i mentioned... which is good for me. pottery is notoriously temperamental and i have to accept and appreciate the imperfections in my pieces because 1. i mess up constantly and try to roll with it 2. i never know what's coming out on the other side of kiln firing, that's completely out of my control!

4. Why do you think people make art? Do you think art is important, or just entertaining?

i think people make art to express something within themselves that they can't convey in any other way... either because they don't know how, because it would be scary/painful/ineffective to do so, or because they aren't even sure what that something is. my background is in facilitating crisis counseling and expressive arts therapy with older adults, and it's incredible to see how art can convey the human experience and our collective unconscious.

5. What is your dog’s name and are they a good dog?

the photo showing two mugs is with my dog walter, who was a very good boy

the photo showing me has my dog/gremlin leeda, who is constantly misbehavin, but has a heart of gold

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Reach out to Alex at: alex_dvorak@icloud.com