Raina Lee is an artist based in Los Angeles and works in clay and experimental glazes. Raina’s practice draws from ceramics history, archeology, and burial objects, and objects from her family’s past. Raina began in clay making functional works and has recently started making sculptural pieces.
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Brenda Lee Barron | Episode 1066
Brenda Lee Barron is passionate about sharing her love of clay. Brenda loves to make functional items (wheel and handbuilding) to be used at your table whether it’s a meal for 1 or a gathering of 21. She is drawn to minimalist design because Brenda wants what you’re serving to be showcased on the white speckled plates, platters and bowls. You’ll sometimes find a touch of gold or a funky rim on her work.
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Retirement doesn’t mean recluse it just means different opportunities. Would you agree with that?
Yes, one hundred percent I would agree with that. Retirement for me is doing things at my own pace, when I want to whether that is doing pottery every day or every other day.
What does a day as a potter in retirement look like?
So a perfect day look like getting up in the morning, making my espresso, journalling for a little bit. Then I have to play Wordle and then I go for at least a half an hour walk. I can walk along the river here which is absolutely beautiful and then I come back and go downstairs and do some making. I take lunch whenever I need to and head back down. Maybe sit outside for a bit depending on the weather and time of year and then wrapping up the day with relaxing and spending a lot of time scrolling on Instagram getting some inspiration as well.
If that is a perfect day, how often does that take place in a week or a month?
I would say in a week three or four days. Because I also have throw in the days when I leave the house to go to the pottery guild to do my teaching as well. So that is part of a perfect day as well. That is one or two days a week that I am doing that.
So you are not not working, you are just working exactly the way you want to work.
Correct. And there will be days where I will do nothing. Maybe clean my kitchen instead of pottery. That’s no fun.
How do you know what to say yes to and what to say no to in order to keep life the way you want it?
So right now the volume of what’s coming at me is manageable and the two opportunities that have recently presented themselves are two area, two paths that I would like to follow. So I said yes. I also, when I say yes, I have to feel it in my body. That may sound woo woo but the yes, I have to feel the yes inside of me. Sometimes I will think on it for a little bit and sometimes the yes will come right away. So I I do a little soul searching to make sure it aligns with myself.
You mentioned teaching classes, as you are at this stage of life do you find it more pressing to be a mentor?
Yes, I do. It feels good to give back and the guild where I work wheel throwing is the most popular thing. Everyone want to throw on the wheel. And my mission is to make hand building just as popular as the wheel throwing. So it feels good. And I like to see the creativity that people have that they don’t think they have.
Books
The Power of Now Eckert Tolle
Big Magic Elizabeth Gilbert
Contact
pottery-by-brendalee.myshopify.com
Instagram: @pottery_by_brendalee
