I'm planning to do several interviews of traditional artists about their process of work,: I hope this will help people who want to take up traditional media or people who want to evolve and find their own style.
This is the first one

First of all, I want to thank *JeffMargolin for taking the time to do this interview and Idan Levin who manages this account

Here are some works of the artist



About the artist

How would you describe, in a few words, your artistic life?
A realization of my childhood romantic fantasies of life as an artist


Which traditional media have you tried? Which ones do you like best and least?
I have tried wood, fiber, clay, steel, watercolor, pen&ink. I enjoyed wood most, and watercolor least because I like three dimensional stuff, I can’t control it very well, and I don’t think in color. And I like wood because it’s the most beautiful sensuous material I have found, and when you work with it the grain comes alive and when hardwood is finely polished it can make the most exquisite textures.


How would you describe your actual style and how long did it take to achieve it?
Interpretation of classical form and traditional ethnic design. I have started working with clay about 40 years ago, and working daily in clay for the last 30 years, I am still working to achieve my style.



Process of work

Do you always plan your ideas before painting or do you let your inspiration/emotions guide by your hands/tools?
I always plan my work. Clay is a changing medium and requires that you work relatively quickly, so it has to be planned ahead so you can do certain operations at the right point. If it’s too wet you can’t do it, if it’s too dry you can’t do it. It is a harsh mistress, a moving target. It’s a transient medium not a static one. 90% happens during the planning, and a very small variability while I am working on it, sometimes I will alter my design but this happens quite rarely.




Can you explain how you work on your works?
Building the form (35%), carving design (55%), burnishing (20%).

I build sculptures using clay strips, stacked on top of each other and meticulously joined and blended. When the form is complete, I designate the area to be carved and typically recess that entire space.

After the piece has done some drying for the sake of structural strength, yet is still wet, I draw the carving pattern onto the clay with a needle tool. My carvings typically use a repetitive pattern, though I tend to add an element of randomness to them as well. Once drawn onto the clay, I use several tools to carve out the pattern and give it varying levels of depth. Later I use a short bristle paint brush to smooth out the carving marks, giving it a softer look and feel.

Once the piece is bone dry, I burnish it with a smooth crystal stone which I run with light pressure over the un-carved portion of the piece. This takes several hours resulting in a very smooth mirror-like finish on the clay.

My work is fired in an electric kiln to cone 012 (very low firing). During the kiln's cool-down period the lid is opened and combustibles are thrown in onto the piece. Once the piece is out of the kiln, I may use a diluted water color and tint the carved area for accent. I typically do not use any glazes or coatings on my work.

*(Idan) People are sometimes fascinated by the burning of hair and sawdust onto the piece, but as Jeff often reminds me: This is a 20 second process and an insignificant aspect of his work relative to the form building, carving, and burnishing. It is really just an applied finish that is appropriate for his work and



General questions about materials and techniques

How important is the nature of the materials and how much does the material dictate the image that results?
I’ve designed my own clays to be consistent with the somewhat contradictory demands I place on the material. The forms I develop would naturally require a sculpture mix clay, however my clay is more porcelain-like as both the carving and burnishing demand a fine clay, to achieve the detail and shine. I have chosen clay that behaves in such a way that allows me to dictate the results.



How controllable are the materials?
Clay is completely controllable until is stops being controllable—that’s when I smash it. Clay is cheap 


Does the traditional way of using them outweigh the experimental?
I don’t really use clay in traditional ways.


How do the techniques evolve?
I am self-taught, so my technique has evolved gradually.

*(Idan) Rather than studying art, Jeff graduated from Berkeley with degrees in Economics and Political Theory. This education helped him realize that he wants to dedicate his life to working in clay. Jeff paid his way through school by working in clay.



Any tips for the people who want to take up painting or who want to evolve and find their own style?
Create a situation for yourself which makes in really easy to work, and then work your heart out. Minimizing obstacles is key (i.e. get a studio, dump your spouse, inherit resources, etc).

* (Idan) Jeff is still working on that third one--so far resources have been a result of working hard and selling work


much thanks to everybody who made this interview possible