We were lucky to catch up with Donna Mallard recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Donna with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
The short answer to this question would be from my mother. She has always been a guiding example for me and is still one of the bravest and hardest-working people I know.
Creative work can be a little different, though, perhaps because it involves showing up for yourself. I’ve found that developing a sketchbook practice has been super helpful in creating new work. During lockdown, I created a challenge for myself which I referred to as a “Friday Doodle.” I kept it low-pressure, posting a quick drawing, sketchbook spread, or even a finished painting on my Instagram every Friday. It’s been almost four years, and I haven’t missed a Friday yet. I know that no one will care if I miss a week, but it’s so beneficial to me, my creativity, my mental health, that I keep the habit up. The idea was to nurture a regular art practice, which it has, but there have been so many other benefits as well.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’ve always drawn and painted as a way to relax and escape day job doldrums. The biggest difference now, though, is that I don’t wait around for inspiration. My sketchbooks are always nearby, and exploring ideas has become a habit.
The most exciting part of building up my sketchbook practice has been how it has integrated with my pottery. Recurring sketchbook imagery such as geometric shapes, flowers, birds–mainly a king crow avatar– have translated into simple hand-cut stencils decorating my pots. Everything is simplified and flattened. The process of building the design is intuitive and, for the most part, very relaxing. I like to think of it as letting my brain run around off leash. Engaging with shapes and mapping colors just seems to lead to more ideas and more experimentation. There is so much wonderful texture with the rough brown speckled clay body and the glossy glaze. I’m very proud of this group of pots.
I hope to set up a shop to sell my pots in the near future, but lately I’ve been too busy chasing down every little idea in my sketchbook and onto my pots. And I’ve been enjoying every minute of it. I would also love to share my ideas for growing a sketchbook practice with others and perhaps teach glazing workshops.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three most impactful qualities: –being willing to try, to throw some color down, make a mess, spend some time trying to figure out what you want to say.
–establishing a creative routine or self-imposed art challenge really helps to improve skills and develop ideas.
–prioritizing yourself. It’s not selfish to tend to your own garden. I set aside time every week to paint, draw, and work on my pottery.
My number one piece of advice for starting any artistic endeavor is to throw yourself into it with everything you’ve got. But don’t focus on the end result. Instead, do it for the flow.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
Again, my pottery. I’m so obsessed and in love with my pottery surfaces right now! My sketchbook practice and my pottery have started to come together in a way that feels so authentically me. And one idea just leads to another, and now my biggest obstacle is finding the time to execute all of my ideas. I’m grateful for this creatively fruitful time in my life.
Contact Info:
- Linkedin:@donnamallard
