Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Klinger.
Hi Dawn, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started Tagliaferro Ceramics in 2016, but I have been working in clay for over 30 years.
Working with and living in close communion with the earth has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. From the first time my hands touched dirt as a child, I knew where I would find my grounding.
My background in sculpture and hand building inspired me to create functional pieces with free flowing form and organic movement.
I believe that every day can be a celebration and that beautiful, connective objects remind us to to come home to what is truly important: nature, family, love.
Tagliaferro is an homage to my grandparents, who took me on nature walks through our local woods, created warm family meals together and raised me with a belief that where we spend our time and energy matters. I spend mine making beauty from earth. The Tagliaferro motto is Serve Love, referring to the meals we make with love for our family and friends and the attitude with which we take on life.
Connecting with people is the absolute best part of what I do. My clients are family. I have watched their children grow up, heard the amazing stories of their lives, hosted family tours of the studio and provided objects for their homes that are built on relationships and communication.
It is a joy to walk into my studio each morning and smell the warm earth on the shelves. The barn where I work is set in the foothills of Wagner Creek in Talent, OR surrounded by nature, two Anatolian shepherds, a feisty cat and a flowing creek that reminds that life is always moving forward and the opportunity to work so closely with nature is a gift I cherish everyday.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Running a small business is always a challenge, an handmade art business brings even more of a challenge. Not only are you running all the marketing, relationship building, financial management, etc., but you are also making what you sell. At times it’s been overwhelming, but the other side is that I get to do what I love, so it’s worth it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have been working in ceramics for the majority of my life. It spoke to me when I was young, so I have always found a way to keep it in my life. I’ve installed kilns in apartment laundry rooms (definitely a lease breaker), taught classes to have access to materials, sculpted on back porches and anywhere else I could find time and space.
I am most proud of always finding a way no matter where I was, no matter how much money I had or what my time constraints were.
My ceramics, at this phase of my life, are inspired by the beauty of imperfection or I would rather say character. The character is born not from forcing it, but from natural variations. Clay has it’s own mind and memory. I ask it to go places and push it into directions and I also allow to find it’s final resting form. And it’s there that I embrace it for it’s natural beauty.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My grandparents. I had a tumultuous early life and they gave me the stability and I love to move forward. Teachers, amazing ceramics teachers in high school and college that encouraged me to build on something that I excelled in with courage and confidence. All the mothers, who weren’t my mother but mentored and believed in me at times when I did not know how. My clients, who are have become my friends and are some of the kindest, supportive and interesting people I have ever met. My partner, Mark, who inspired me to take a chance on opening a store in Ashland, shared his business knowledge, and has been my greatest advocate ever since.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tagceramics.com
- Instagram: tagceramics
