Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Layl McDill. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Layl, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.
When I was growing up I saw my parents being continually generous and being involved in the community. They ran their own business and I knew they always put their employees first. My mother took in neighborhood kids that needed extra support whenever they showed up and it seems like they always kept showing up. It was always just a given that you would help anyone in need. They were also involved in organizations like Kiwanis and continue to be serial volunteers even in retirement. It was from them that I learned to get involved in your community for a better well rounded life. They encouraged us kids (all four of us) to be involved in 4-H, scouting and swim team and other sports. If it hadn’t been for these extra circular activities I probably wouldn’t have been involved in programs outside of class in Art School like the “Color Wheels” program where we taught underserved kids and the elderly art lessons. Much of what I learned there became the bedrock for the classes I teach in a variety of settings like hospitals and senior living facilities.
Over my 30 year career as an artistI know that my involvement in non profit organizations has been key to my success. I found my first mentor when I joined a feminist arts organization called “WARM”, The connections I make in arts organizations makes all the difference. At this point it’s great to be on the side of connecting others to each other and seeing new artists start their careers.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a full time artist that has been working with polymer clay as my primary medium for many years. I have worked to master the technique of millefiori- layers of colored clay put together to create an image in the clay about the size of a paint can then I stretch this out to be about 20 feet where the image shrinks – every slice has a tiny picture. I use these slices to layer on my larger sculptures. Sometimes I am covering an object like a vessel or a teapot but I hope to transform that object into something new- often times animals, especially birds. In recent years I have been adding in more mixed media – using found objects as substrate to make large scale animals- usually wall pieces. The themes of these pieces usually relate to environmental and social causes. My latest news is that I am opening a gallery in our building in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District in April. My new space will have a new gallery space and studio space that will be open to the public everyday, Monday- Saturday, Customers will be invited to play with clay during open studio hours with a “pay what you want” model. Classes will take place regularly. I’m excited to be on a busy street which will be renovated in the next couple of years. It will be exciting to see how the area revitalizes and I’m thrilled my business will be part of that growth.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think being persistent, open minded and optimistic has made the biggest impact on my journey. My persistence comes from my need to always be creative and making my art. I have a constant drive to be in my studio. I use my persistence to get me there every day I can. I have learned to prioritized my art making. When my kids were young I knew it was important to make time for my career – I found ways to multi task and fit creative time into my life. Having an open mind and being ready to change course as needed. There have been many times as I create my art that I have had to be ready to accept that things are going a different direction and go with the flow. My general outlook is always positive and optimistic. One of my mottos has always been that you get something from everything you do and sometimes it’s just that you learn not to do that something again. I sell most of my art at art fairs and anything can happen- sometimes you have very low sales but you still might meet someone that leads to something else like a new gallery or connection to a collector.
I think everyone that finds success can take the strengths that they have and cultivate them so it works for them. If you are looking to become more persistent you have to practice having a habit until it becomes second nature. If you find what you truly love to do you would think that you would automatically be persistent to do more of that thing you love. But this isn’t always true- you have to believe what you are doing is important and worth doing no matter what. Surround yourself with people that encourage you and you will eventually believe it is true too.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Right now I am expanding my sculptures to a larger scale and using more mixed media. This is really pushing me to create the most challenging art of my life. I am excited to be moving in a direction that doesn’t have an obvious end and make work that is unlike anything I’ve done before or seen anyone else do. Every piece I make is a challenge in artistic form and in engineering. My next challenge after making this art will be getting it exhibited and possibly even purchased. I have had several exhibits but I want to push myself to show in galleries that are more of a reach than where I have shown in the past. It will be interesting to see if I can get my work shown in such venues. I have always been one to just keep trying to get my work out there so I hope this persistence pays off again. If anything I hope I can make new work that stretches the concepts of sculpture and makes an impact on the viewer.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.laylmcdill.com
- Instagram: @laylmcdill
- Facebook: @laylmcdill
- Linkedin: @laylmcdill
- Twitter: @laylm
- Youtube: @laylmcdill
- TikTok: @laylmcdill
Image Credits
Most images are by myself. Some are by Madeline Kelner, Petronella Ytzma, and Devin Larkins
