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My Ceramics

In the studio I like to do	Handbuilding, Sculpting, Everything to do with Ceramics
Pottery Wheel	n/a
Clay body	Stoneware, Porcelain
Clay Brand	Rocky Mountain Dover, Flagstone, Chestnut / Laguna Dover and Laguna paper clay WC953
Kiln Type	Electric Kiln
Temperature	Cone 04 for bisque and 6 for glaze
Glaze	I use mostly underglazes. For my sculptures, I have fired at cone 04 then used layers of milk paint to create skin tones.
You can buy my work from	my website: http://anabalzan.com

About Me

Introduction	As a ceramic sculptor and painter based in Longmont, I am passionate about creating work that delves into themes of resilience, identity, and connection. My artistic journey began in Venezuela, where I was born and raced. I was always creating—painting or building structures. I studied graphic design and worked in the field for 28 years. While raising my small children as a single mother in a demanding career, I decided to make a change and transitioned into caregiving for the elderly, a profoundly gratifying role. During 2020 and the challenging years that followed, I realized I needed something more. Despite my fears and uncertainty, I made the decision to return to painting, using acrylics to reignite my creativity. The following year, I took another bold step forward, returning to the art of hand-building with clay—a material I had always liked and loved. This marked the beginning of my journey as a self-taught ceramic figurative sculptor, deeply inspired by the narratives of my personal experiences as a woman, mother, and caregiver, as well as by capturing and listening to the experiences of others. My work includes both figurative sculptures crafted from clay slabs and acrylic paintings. One of my current projects, Ceramic Echoes of Venezuela: Art and Identity, explores Venezuela’s cultural and ecological richness while reflecting on its current social challenges. I also enjoy sharing my craft through teaching workshops and engaging with the local arts community to foster creativity and connection.
What I Love about Ceramics	My connection to earth
What inspires me	Everyday life
What I'm working on at the moment	I am working on, the cultural and ecological richness of my upbringing in Venezuela, infusing the pieces with imagery of its tribes, animals, and natural landscapes. These works, part of my ongoing project Echoes of Venezuela, juxtapose the beauty of the past with the complexities of the present, offering a tribute to my homeland while engaging with universal themes of memory and identity.
My Artist Statement	am a figurative sculptor based in Longmont, Colorado, specializing in meticulously handcrafting ceramic sculptures using clay slabs. My process involves molding, shaping, and thoughtfully adding clay to achieve forms that reflect the depth of human experience. Each piece carries a narrative, grounded in themes of identity, resilience, and connection, inspired by my personal journey as a woman, mother, caregiver, and artist. Through my work, I explore the intricate interplay of strength and vulnerability, seeking to reclaim and honor the moments that shape who we are. My sculptures often embody a quiet yet powerful presence, inviting viewers to reflect on the universal experiences that bind us—whether through shared emotions, cultural narratives, or the timeless bonds of humanity. Facial expressions and body language are central to my artistic practice. By capturing subtle emotions, I aim to convey complex stories of endurance and hope. Mythological themes also influence my work, as I weave elements of ancient lore with contemporary reflections on identity. These mythic inspirations allow me to delve deeper into archetypal stories that transcend individual experiences, resonating with broader, collective truths. The textures and surfaces of my sculptures are carefully crafted to evoke the essence of life’s layers—sometimes weathered, sometimes smooth, but always rich with history. Each piece is a tactile record of my creative process, shaped not only by my hands but also by the stories I aim to tell. In one recent body of work, I drew upon the cultural and ecological richness of my upbringing in Venezuela, infusing the pieces with imagery of its tribes, animals, and natural landscapes. These works, part of my ongoing project Echoes of Venezuela, juxtapose the beauty of the past with the complexities of the present, offering a tribute to my homeland while engaging with universal themes of memory and identity. Through my ceramic sculptures, I seek to create connections—between the past and present, between individual and collective experiences, and between the artist and the viewer. Each piece invites a dialogue, a moment of reflection, and an opportunity to see the world through a new lens. This collection is a celebration of life’s resilience and humanity’s enduring spirit, crafted with the intent to inspire and connect.
My CV	You can read my CV by going to the below link: http://www.anabalzan.com/cv–testimonials.html