artistspot Tyler Sandstrom

What are some of the best things about owning your own pottery studio?

I get to live where I work and create functional pottery that gets used every day all over the country. Best of all, I get to work alongside my lovely wife, Laura, and together we teach our three children to work smart & hard in whatever they choose to do with their God given talents.

What would you like people to know about From Miry Clay Pottery?

Fun fact: Our kilns have been fired over 1,480 times, and I go through 2,000 lbs. of clay every 7 - 8 months…which means I make a LOT of pots! Together, we create over 350 different functional stoneware vessels in 14 established glaze colors. Along with that, we also have fun making horsehair pottery and illuminated pierced vessels. Find out how versatile and amazing clay is by making a trip to Dayton and seeing our studio and gallery in an old bank building. Go to frommiryclaypottery.com for our hours and more info.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?

Be a hybrid artist: organized, business minded, and adaptable. Don’t waste your talent and always treat others better than yourself.

Growing up, did you grow up in an artistic household? If so, how?

I was brought up in an encouraging, creative, and hardworking family. My mother has a good eye with home décor and flower arrangements and my dad is very diligent worker. I was encouraged to develop and use my God given gifts. For me, this happened to be a creative mind that keeps at a task until it is done.

Tell us about your educational path.

I graduated high school and then did an apprenticeship with a master potter.

Do you remember the first pottery piece you made? What was it and what were your first impressions of creating pottery?

I do remember my first piece of pottery. It was a bowl type looking…thing. I thought making pottery on the wheel was super difficult and extremely fun.

What are some of the challenges in owning your own pottery studio?

Challenges abound when you have been a full-time, self-employed artist trying to sell art in rural Iowa since 2006. Most of the answers come by perseverance.

Some of those challenges are getting your story out and your product known, getting people to your storefront, and keeping up with demand.