TUESDAY ARTIST INTERVIEWS AND GIVEAWAYS ARE BACK!... MEET LAURA WALLS TAYLOR

It was this first image of the doeful little deer that drew me into Laura Walls Taylor's Etsy shop. Then I hung about to investigate for my Christmas shopping list. (Look away sisters!) With a sister who loves birds and a second who loves flowers, Laura's ceramic collection has possibilities for them both! My personal favourite piece is the long ceramic rose stems, especially as they would mean The Boyfriend would have to constantly supply the roses to go with them :) Laura has very kindly offered one lucky reader a $10 voucher for her store, simply drop us a comment and let us know your favourite item from her store. The competition runs until Tuesday the 30th, bon courage tout le monde :)

Where do you work from?
My life is decentralized. In the country, I throw pots in a shed shared with old stained-glass lamps, gardening tools and a water heater. In the city, my casting and glazing are done in my basement studio. Most of my painting is pretty painstaking so it’s done wherever the light is best at the time.

 Where do you take your inspiration from?
It’s a cliché, that inspiration can come from anywhere, but it’s true. I make what I like and that can echo our much-superior natural world mixed with a dose of sarcasm.

I see you are living in San Franny? I visited there for 2 weeks in May, it must be a pretty inspiring place for an artist to live?
San Francisco attracts all sorts, and definitely has an ephemeral element. The vibe stays the same, but everything changes around it, which is interesting to me. The best part though, is that it’s a little city with great restaurants and cute neighborhoods but nature is still really accessible.

Please share a local tip from your town for those travel bugs among us!
Avoid waterfront restaurants and other tourist traps. Don’t drive…walk…you can’t experience San Francisco in a car.

What are you wearing? 
Right now? …Worn out, but comfy grey suede flats with patent leather buttons, my favorite Hudson jeans and a fuzzy alpaca sweater…not a very sexy answer.

What is your favourite thing about being a creative person?
 I think everyone is creative. Some people just forget how to color outside the lines as they get older. I can’t imagine not making things…whether it’s out of clay or something else. I don’t use recipes either.

 How do you spend your weekends?
I much prefer dirt over concrete and spend half my time in an amazing place where crickets and frogs take the place of busses and cars that fill my weekdays. Out in the foothills I throw pots, spend time watching birds and deer, play in the river and drink champagne.

 What is your shops best selling item?
My porcelain rose stem swizzle sticks have gotten the most press, but popularity changes all the time and I stink at trying to predict. I often run out of things that I make in sets. Lots of things I make are one-offs and once they are gone, they’re gone.