By Claudia Flores
For Karmella Falcon, a retired art teacher and artist, what started as a source for extra income more than 20 years ago, became Falcon Pottery and Art Studio. Today Falcon, dedicates her time to teach pottery and ceramics to those in the community who seek to learn more about the artforms.
“Back when I was in my 20s, I wanted to have some extra money and I had children, so I figured I had an art talent. I tried to share it with other people, I opened up a studio in my garage and that’s how I got started,” Falcon said.
Falcon, who started her home studio by teaching ceramics said her passion for pottery developed while working on her bachelor’s degree.
“I was getting my art degree in college and I took a pottery class just for the heck of it, and I liked it so much that it ended up being my minor,” Falcon said. “After going to college, I liked pottery so much that I got rid of all the ceramic bowls in my studio and now I’m at a point in my life that I’ve got both and I try to do a little of both.”
In pottery there are two ways to handle the material. One of the most popular methods is using a pottery wheel. Another method includes ceramics and slab work. Slab work is an antient method used by only working with the hands, fingers and simple tools.
Today with the advances in technology, some art spaces and artists use 3D printing equipment to create pottery and ceramic pieces, however, according to Falcon this technique does not compares to the traditional process of making pottery.
“It’s two different mediums. One of them is more technological and created in a computer. Whatever it is in your brain, you’re programming it into a computer, so there’s got to be artistic representation in your head, but it’s the computer producing it,” Falcon said
“In pottery it’s your brain and your hands that is producing what’s in your head. You shape it and then it goes get cure in the fire in the old-fashioned way. I just feel, that, it’s something irreplaceable and there’s a certain art to it.”
According to an article by Heath Fitness Revolution, pottery is often described as a therapeutic and relaxing activity due to the focus the activity requires.
“It is mesmerizing, and you don’t think of anything else. You get lost in the moment of the clay taking shape, because you have to concentrate on the balance of the clay while it’s rotating so it doesn’t fall apart on you,” Falcon said. “So, whether you’re doing a sculpture on the table by hand or the wheel you put everything else that was going on in the world behind you and it becomes therapy; a stress relief.”
As any other local business Falcon Pottery and Art Studio had to close temporarily due to the COVID-19. Falcon said she’s been posting all kind of ideas on Instagram and Facebook for people to continue to be creative during the “Stay at Home” orders.
“I’ve been trying to think of what kind of materials people have at home because no one’s allowed to leave, so even with rocks and pebbles there’s so many cute things people can do,” Falcon said. “ I also put up a couple of painting ideas to try give people a little bit of a challenge, but I’ve noticed that I’ve gotten a lot of shares and comments with the pebbles craft ideas because if that’s what they’ve got at home they can make an entire scenery just with pebbles.”
Falcon said she had the idea to prepare art packages that included ceramic pieces, paint and art brushes to sell to the community, however, her concern was to find the proper way to distribute the packages without exposing herself and others, for that she decided to stick with the creative social media posts.
“Selling the art packages defeats the purpose of staying at home if people have to go out to get them and there’s the money situation. There’s a lot of people that don’t have money coming in,” Falcon said. “Why not exploring with what you have at home? That’s what I’m trying to work with. Whether they’ve got crayons or markers, the purpose is to work with what you have at home.”
As a local artist, Falcon said the journey is personal and incredibly emotional due to the many ways’ artists are judged.
“You always tend to see yourself as a misfit, because you’re different and nowadays it is acceptable to be different. At this point of my life, at 66, I’m totally content and happy with who I am and who I’ve become,” Falcon said. “
For more information about Falcon Pottery and Art Studio visit their Facebook page at Facebook.com/FalconPottery. (915) 261-5137