Favorite Etsy Shop - "Iktomi" Clay Artist

I just stumbled upon this shop the other day on Etsy and have fallen in love!

Iktomi specializes in, "Adorable handmade clay sculpture, animal spirit guides, wedding cake toppers, gnomes and fairy tale inspired pottery and ceramic art." What caught my eye originally in this shop were these adorable Hedgehogs! Check them out:
I found the beautiful colors used, and the details given to these pieces to be really amazing.

Denise Ferragamo, the clay artist behind this shop has been an artist since she was 12! She would sell painted seashells from a card table on Main street in Wellfleet on Cape Cod. Then she started drawing t-shirt designs for a screen printer for almost a decade; and as a fine artist selling paintings in galleries and art shows on the Florida gulf coast. In the last 5 years she found a love for clay.

Denise credits her mom with getting her interested in clay. "My mother was the one who got me interested in clay. She moved from Cape Cod to New Mexico, and fell in with a rowdy bunch of pottery makers. Not really, but through friends, she discovered her love of clay. After about 10 years of hearing about how much she loved it, I was finally convinced to give it a try. She actually drove to Florida from Arizona with a second hand kiln she had bought for me, along with all the goodies like glazes, tools and clay. I guess you could say she ignited the spark."

Here is another example of her beautiful work, I thought with Spring coming this bird was pretty:

Denise finds inspiration in many ways, "Much of my work is influenced by my childhood love of folk and fairy tales. I remember the Walt Disney show on TV and loved every chance to see the next animated movie (they’re called classics now, so I guess I am getting old!) I loved them with a passion and was seriously contemplating a career as a Disney animator. You can see a lot of the Disney influence in my work; animals with soft features, a hint of anthropomorphism, a certain look in the eye, and personality.

I also am influenced by my visits to the southwest – New Mexico and Arizona. I love ancient ruins or the slightly alien landscape of the wide open desert. I make a lot of spirit animal guides which can be enjoyed as a piece of art, or as a symbol of the connection some people feel with a certain animal. I love getting ideas from people about new animal guides to try and I’ve had a lot of fun interacting with my customers this way."

One of my favorite items from this shop are the clay buttons! I am a fanatic about buttons, using them in a lot of my jewelry. So these buttons are unique, and an exciting addition coming to my jewelry soon.
Denise has an ever changing inventory of items, and a permanent sale section in her shop. So go check it out!

Written By: Janet from Trinkets N Whatnots.