A day in the life of an art director

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Margo Tantau, co-teacher of our upcoming class ‘MATS: Creating Collections for Home Décor’ spends a huge amount of her time on the road, mostly in Asia, where she visits the very factories where they make the 5000+ products she oversees each year. Here is a glimpse into her work travels, so you can see just what is involved in bringing your art to life on products.

*This is an excerpt from our online class ‘MATS: Creating Collections for Home Décor’ which begins on May 16. Book your spot here.

A day in China… Visiting the ceramic factory

#inasiaagain. This is how I’ve started tagging all my trip pictures. I am both fascinated and humbled by the experiences I have as I work. I take it all in with respect and appreciation for the fact that I am part of the cycle of life here.. but also merely an observer. I learn something every time.

 

Today we start out early, as we’ll be driving inland to the county of Dehua, in Fujian province. It has been known for centuries as a main ceramic producing area in China. Since 1368, in fact. Dehua was and is still well known for a specific type, Blanc de Chine, which is a beautiful white porcelain. They do many other types of ceramics here now, as well.

 

 Blanc de Chine from the Kangxi Period(1662-1722) The 2012 auction estimate for this piece was 3,000-4,000 Euro (alain.r.truong)

 

I never tire of watching the world go by outside the van window, as we wind up into the more mountainous area of Fujian province, from the port of Xiamen.

There are temples here and there. Sometimes we stop if we can spare the time. These are some of my favorite moments.. a glimpse into sacred history and culture. I feel like I’m peeking behind a curtain.

There are ancient tiles and ceramics peppered throughout the temples, on rooftops, walls, and decorative features.

If a Buddha figure has to be discarded due to any reason, it must be returned to a sacred place. I have found little caves full, and I mean breathtakingly full, of beautiful old Buddha statues.

I take away with me both new and ageless thoughts. I am grateful for the experience.

As we get closer to Dehua, the green mountains get more populated, and rural mixes with town.

There always seems to be room to grow something, though. The Chinese people use space wisely, it seems. They make it work.

This woman sets out her vegetables for sale on a mat at the side of the road.

A city bustles, commerce thrives.

This is a typical urban scene. There are apartments up above, and these separate garage-like shops underneath, selling everything from tires to toothpaste.

We reach the factory. Typically, a factory will have a showroom full of samples of dishware, serving, gift and decorative pieces that they have produced. We take a look. This is a particularly sophisticated factory, with good design.

They are working on a line of bakeware and accessory pieces in the factory now, so we ask if we can have a look. It helps us to know what their capabilities are. I’m always completely fascinated.

Pressing clay into bowl molds.

Drying the bowls on racks and racks.

 

And firing those bowls.

 

And there are many other shapes… see how everything is hand-touched? In some way, everything is handmade. This is a startling revelation to many, but people are the key part of the process, still. I so appreciate this, and I never cease to be amazed at the technique, the dedication, and the talent.

 

Teapots on their way into the kiln for the first firing. This is the bisque firing round, then glaze will be applied and they’ll be fired again. If there is a decal or hand painting to be added, that is yet another step and another trip through the kiln.

Unloading the kiln. It takes people to do all this.

Tables and shelves of glazed pieces, ready for the next step in the process.

These are bright yellow glazed baking dishes, with brown hand painted trim. They’ll most likely have lids added before they are carefully checked over by quality control. They’ll then be labeled and packed, loaded on a truck and taken to the nearest port, filled into a container, put onto a very large ship, and take the many-weeks long journey across the sea.

 Some that didn’t make it …

And then after (or during) all that… tea. We are always offered tea. Another ages-old tradition that is culturally rich and much appreciated.

We will visit other factories today, which offer slightly different product, designs, and skill level. These hours will be full of experiences, efficiencies, and hopefully, effectiveness. This factory is the best quality and the most advanced of the day. It’s worth remembering. We’ll see if we can work together on design and pricing to keep our costs in line. It’s an ever-evolving process, and we try to build strong relationships, so that each party benefits and we can grow together.

And then we begin the long drive back to the hotel in Xiamen. One spends a lot of time in a van in China. There will be more windows to look out of, more things to wonder about and record in my mind and maybe, if I’m fast enough, on film.

He is the egg man….

 

#inasiaagain.

[All images courtesy of Margo Tantau unless otherwise credited]

Hearing about Margo’s adventures on the road makes you realise how complex and exciting the home décor industry really is. If you would like to have people like Margo bringing your art to life, on anything from cushions to cupboards, sofas to vases, don’t miss our upcoming class ‘MATS: Creating Collections for Home Décor’. It starts on May 16 and this will be the last time we run the class this year. Margo will guide you through designing for the top five most popular materials for home décor – ceramics, wood, glass, fabric and wood/MDF. It is a fascinating class and pushes artists to produce some of the most commercially viable pieces we have seen emerge from any class anywhere. Book your spot here.