AV Arts Convo – Pottery and Paintings by tjCervantes
Presenting artwork and an interview with tjCervantes
SATURATION 2.0: The Arts in Conversation project at Antelope Valley Arts is an ongoing, weekly publishing series: Local artists (painters, poets, photographers, fiction writers) have been invited to submit art and partake in a conversation on artistic influence and inspiration as the print arm of Antelope Valley Arts goes digital.
The conversation today turns to thoughts on collaboration, inspiration and the poetry of pottery in an interview with artist tjCervantes. Working across a number of media, notably uber-creative pottery, tjCervantes always finds a way to bring the whimsy of the Fantastic into her work, evoking the magic of mythology and the charm of fairy tales in pottery and paintings that reach back to the elfin and elemental sensibilities of the Middle English. In these works tjCervantes gives meaning to the idea that art is kind of “dreaming out loud.”
But she is not doing it alone.
tjCervantes mentions an ongoing collaborative project with Marthe Aponte in her interview and some works from that collaboration are included here.
And now, on with the show…
Is there a certain emotional valence or emotional register that characterizes your work?
My artwork is characterized by the human emotion in a way that is both satirical and whimsical. I am a lover of fantasy, and like most storytellers, it is about the human condition.
I am a lover of moons, and nature, and a good story that will make me laugh, and make me think. Mostly, it’s about laughter, and that we are all in this together.
I love elegance in a morbid and surreal way. So the gods and goddesses show that side of me, as do my bugs that I am just developing. A collaboration is in the works with Marthe Aponte and I to show entomology at it finest. I have done a few insects with watercolor, but Marthe’s picote gives so much elegance to the insects that I feel there will be more to come. Three are finished already!
My gods and goddesses masks, moons, even the skeletons dancing on the cups show that whimsical, satirical side. This affects everyone. They say, “oh, that reminds me of my brother, my friend’s child, or it just gives them a good feeling.
Who or what are your major artistic influences?
I studied to be an illustrator, and I am a lover of a good fantasy. Combined with my love of pottery, I want my pottery to tell the story of a fantasy with moons talking, gods and goddesses pleasantly ruling in all their majesty, skeletons dancing, and insects and animals are having parties and weddings all by the light of the moon. Yes, I am a dreamer, and dreams do come true!
My major influencers are from the past, Rene Magritte, he has been my life long influencer. One major influencer from the present is Kit Williams, who is an illustrator of a most fun type of book for adults and children. His book, Masquerade, is one of my favorites. And in pottery, I just found Kurt Weiss, who illustrates wonderful surreal scenes around wonderfully misshapen pottery that he has formed.
There are two people that stand out as catalysts for me to become a potter and an artist. Rich Sim is one. He taught me pottery and motivated me to go on to college to finish my degree in art. He is the only one that was my formal teacher of ceramics. And my dear, long time friend, Debra Bridgman., if it wasn’t for her, I would have been an accountant, lol. She encouraged me to take art classes in college with her. I am not sure I would have taken any art classes if it weren’t for her.
There are really so many more people and things that influence me. My friends have especially influenced me. We bounce ideas off of one another, and critique our artwork together. 
And if it wasn’t for the current art scene, I am not sure I would have done the amount of art or met my artist friends that I do art with. The art crowd in the Antelope Valley is so enthusiastic to help other people show their art. The Sagebrush Café and MOAH are doing an exceptional job of putting current artwork and local artwork out to the public. Thank you, Eric Martin, Andi Campognone, and Robert Benitez for influencing me, and all of us artists in the Antelope Valley and beyond, to share our art!
And today’s world is what drives me to share my art to the public.
Since retiring six years ago, to become an artist, in the professional sense of the word, I started learning how to market my artwork online. Today, we can embrace the Internet and potentially the world. The art world has become so huge, art abounds. And we can influence the world with our art. I am my own teacher now, and learning and loving every minute.
Take a look at the latest from tjCervantes and see what she has on offer in these places:
More from the AV Arts Convo
e that art is an expression and everyone is born creative. We take our painter through a 2 hour fun step by step paint experience.”
Meet other artists and folks interested in learning about making art and get some practice in.
Antelope Valley Arts 