Daily Inspiration: Meet Desiree Warren

Today we’d like to introduce you to Desiree Warren

Hi Desiree, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
After growing up in Ottawa, Kansas, I studied Sculpture and Art History at KU. I took several ceramics classes, but it was mainly form over function, so I didn’t learn all the technical aspects of clay and glaze, just how to stick stuff together and keep it from exploding in the kiln. After graduation I worked for a yard art fabricator with a store front and learned about wholesale and retail, craft shows, and that I didn’t love having a boss.

In 2006, my now husband and I moved to North Hyde Park to be closer to his work, and I started working in art-adjacent jobs (bakery, flower shops) while doing small art fairs with a line of clocks made from aluminum and vinyl sheeting. Over the years I expanded and morphed my art and studio practice, pulling in paint, found objects, paper ephemera, and finally going back to clay after a decade away. I have been working for myself for about a decade now.

A friend taught at the KC Clay Guild in Waldo and I’ve been in her class ever since I stepped back into the ceramics world. At the Guild I could do all my work, but in 2020 I decided to jump in and purchased my own kiln so I could control my production from home. I have landed on three bodies of work that are both functional and non-functional: floral themed, cats, and geometric. Having a few avenues to work in keeps me from getting bored, and I’ve found the variety helps me improve each aspect of these series.

Currently I have my Geo line in the Nelson-Atkins museum store, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art museum store, Belger Crane Yard gallery, Wisteria inside the Kansas City Museum, and Laudrey Rose in Austin, Texas. Cat work can be found at the West Bottoms Plant Co. and the Centered Earth Gallery in the Clay Guild, as well as on my website. And floral themed pieces are exclusively at Bluestem in Columbia, Missouri.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My biggest struggle is dealing with my own self-imposed road blocks. To be honest, I am not terribly ambitious, and I am lucky enough that I don’t need to grind to live. My family and friends have always been very supportive. I love making and experimenting, so I will swerve onto a crazy tangent, work on that until I’m over it, but then use what I learned to improve my bread and butter lines. I’m much better at promoting my friends and colleagues than myself, and approaching new places to sell my wares is one of my least favorite things to do…all computer work is a bummer for me also, not gonna lie.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Currently I work in ceramics, primarily mid-fire, but I will take literally any free clay or glaze someone is giving away and find a use for it. The last few years I’ve focused on floral motifs, which grew out of my re-learning how to draw during the Covid shutdown; cat-themed items, which I avoided making for a long time because I am a Cat Lady TM and didn’t want to play too far into stereotypes, but I had a request and it was such a hit I leaned all the way in; and slab-built geometric vases with different textures and colorful glazes. Depending on where my customers have shopped, I’m referred to as the person who makes “the cat stuff” or “the half-circle vases” or “the wildflower wall things.” I’m happy to wear many hats, and I see it all as one body of work. Many production artists can make the same thing over and over again, but I simply can’t, so I’d say my variety sets me apart.

I’m proud of being represented in fine art museum stores. I often hear from friends about how cool they think that is, and I try to ignore my Midwestern humility and enjoy the praise.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Experimentation. I will mix, layer, or smash things together that maybe aren’t typically taught to go together, and sometimes I actually learn something and love it. Sometimes…things get ruined. That’s just how it goes. I always want to see what else I can come up with, especially with glazing techniques.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://eightyacresart.square.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eightyacresart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EightyAcresArt