Interview with Ceramic Superstar Suzie Shinseki

iLoveToCreate, a Duncan Enterprises Company is known by many as "the most creative company in the world"! We got this name in large part due to our AMAZING team of designers. These people are so creative, it's ca-razy! All of our ceramic pieces are designed by Suzie Shinseki. Check her out in our Duncan ad!

I asked Suzie a few questions so all of you could get to know our celebrity a little better!

So Suzie, how old were you when you first started doing ceramics? I was in my 50s!

Really?! So what drew you to the Ceramic Arts? It was the other way around - Ceramics drew me. I was introduced to ceramics in my first position at iLoveToCreate (then Duncan Enterprises) as Color Tile Technician. It was my job to learn about ceramics and cleaning greenware, and to paint small tiles using our product. Today we have so much more product!

I bet! Speaking of Duncan product, what's your favorite product to create with, and why? If I had time to do anything of my own, my product of choice would be E-Z Stroke™ Translucent Underglazes, Concepts® Underglazes, and other products (like Crystals™ Glazes) t0 add interest in areas. My background is in Fine Arts and illustrative work, and these two products lend themselves to achieving the details and capturing the realism in a piece.

What's a typical day like for you? Give us the inside scoop on being an iLoveToCreate designer! A typical day as an iLoveToCreate designer? Let's see... I start off the day at the computer checking e-mails and our computer system for my daily tasks. From there, it's juggling the jobs and taking on the most urgent. My tasks may range from one end of the spectrum to the other, so it can be challenging!

It's true! I've seen you go from designing a ceramic piece to sewing an apron, all in one day. I know it's probably tough to choose, but what's your favorite piece you've created? I think my favorite would be a piece I created with E-Z Stroke™ Translucent Underglazes many years ago!

Any words of wisdom you can pass on to aspiring ceramists? The only thing I can say (and I apply to myself, as well) is to do what you enjoy and keep at it. Keep painting and creating...you can only get better each time and learn!

A big thank you to Suzie for taking time out of her busy day to chat with us!