Trina's Clay Creations

Artist Trina Prenzi of Midland, MI 

                                   Let’s start by telling us a little about yourself:

 I am the mom of two wonderful and amazing children!

A daughter and a son, all grown up. 

I live in Michigan and work in a law office.

Creating with clay is my passion and I feel so fortunate to also be able to

spend time in my studio, sculpting and creating with clay.

Besides working with clay, what other things do you like to do?

 Spending time with my family is important to me. 

Photography is one of my favorite hobbies and I also love to write. 

I enjoy being outside, I absolutely LOVE the beach. 

I enjoy cooking (love getting creative in the kitchen!), 

 I also enjoy a nice long walk and reading a good book.

How long have you been working with polymer clay? How did you get started?

 I've been working with polymer clay since about 2004. 

I was obsessed with this medium from the minute I opened my first block of clay! 

Lots of creativity in my family while I was growing up,

and we did a lot of dough ornaments every year at Christmas time...

I always enjoyed sculpting from when I was a little girl.

Do you have any formal training or are you self taught?

 I am a self taught "clayer"

and the small details of clay creation is definitely my favorite part.

How do you best describe your designs and your brand?

 I have done a lot of sculpting, from figurines and boxes to clocks and vases. 

Most recently I began creating cake toppers.

My clay creations are very fun and whimsical.

How do you get ideas to create a piece? What inspires you?

 I am inspired by so many things! 

 Life itself is very inspirational to me. 

I would say that I have a very artistic eye,

 I can see so much in the smallest of things,

and it can really get my imagination going. 

I like to keep a notebook with me all the time,

to jot down my ideas for later clay creations. 

I always say that I hope to have all my ideas come to life from a block of clay one day!

Do you work with any specific styles or subject matter?
 I especially love creating animals and children...

I like to play with the poses and expressions on the faces.

What is your favorite piece(s) to make?

 My newest creation is most times my favorite creation!

What challenges have you faced in your work?

 I like to be challenged, so if I think it'll be difficult,

it's usually more fun for me to create. 

In the beginning it was challenging for me to create sturdy pieces that had substance. 

 I wanted to make sure the delicate details on my creations would not break off. 

As a newbie to polymer clay back in 2004,

it took me a while to learn all the important ways to create a nice sturdy item

worthy of presenting for sale.  

 

Have you ever had a clay project “disaster” happen
while making an order for a customer?
If so, what happened?

 My biggest clay disaster happened a couple of years ago

when I finished the cutest Dalmation and put him in the oven for curing. 

Not realizing that the oven temperature was too high,

the little guy burned right up! 

 What a big mess that was. 

Then, of course, I had to re-create the whole thing. 

In my mind the first one was cuter! 

 Poor little burned up thing.

 How has the internet impacted your art?

 I just love the internet because it reaches out to a much broader audience! 

 I have buyers from all over the world now, and that is wonderful!

What things do you do to market your business?

 I have my Etsy Shop where I showcase

and sell my creations from cake toppers and figurines to boxes and vases.

 

How do you decide upon what products you are going to sell?

 I've made many things that I have not put in my Etsy Shop to sell. 

 I start with an idea and begin working on it. 

I think it's just a matter of whether or not I really love my creation...

 if I am really happy with it, then I will list it in my Etsy Shop. 

My Website is up and running as of December 2010,

and my plan is sell my cake toppers there as well.

Where do you create?

 I just recently set up my studio and love it. 

It's a whole room here at our house. 

 After working where ever I could find a flat surface for such a long time,

my studio is a dream come true!

Is there a favorite polymer clay supply you can’t live without?

There are many,

but probably can't live without my pasta machine.

 What are your upcoming collections that we should look out for?

 

 I am planning to add clocks to my collections. 

 I have so many ideas for different clocks and can't wait to showcase them all.

To view more of Trina's Clay Creations,
You can find her at any of the following sites:

Trina's Etsy Shop

Follow Trina's Blog

Trina's Clay Creations Website