Artist who returned to Sioux Falls will bring handcrafted pottery to 605 Made Holiday Market
Dec. 4, 2024
Working with clay has taught Skyler Stencil that sometimes you just have to say something just isn’t good enough.
“I call it persistent art — not every piece will turn out,” the Sioux Falls artist said. “Sometimes you have to be OK with letting pieces go when they don’t turn out.”
The pieces that do go into one of her two kilns and successfully emerge, however, have confirmed to Stencil that she has found her place in the world of art. And if things go as planned, soon she’ll be able to share her talent with others who want to make pieces out of clay.
First, though, the handcrafted pottery Stencil has made will be included in this year’s 605 Made Holiday Market. The event will be Saturday, Dec. 7, in the underground parking garage at the original Cherapa Place building. Stencil returned to Sioux Falls last summer after obtaining her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Creighton University in Omaha. This will be the first time she has taken part in a 605 Made market.
Stencil first put her hands into clay in an art class taught by the late Gary Siska at O’Gorman High School. Her interests were nurtured in college by a Creighton professor, Amy Nelson.
“(Siska) was amazing. I love him,” Stencil said. “There was a hand-building project in high school, just a simple coiled bowl. That was the first time I felt like I really knew I had an idea of what was going on. With the clay, it does take so long to get a feel for it.”
Despite enjoying the process of building a bowl by hand, the first time Stencil used a wheel to throw a pot, “it was all over for me,” she said.
Stencil now owns two wheels and two kilns. Over the past 10 years, she has learned that pottery requires an investment of time if an artist wants to improve their skills. Working with clay means the final piece can morph into whatever the artist wants, offering freedom combined with effort.
She calls working with clay meditative and can surprise herself at how quickly the hours pass.
“I definitely spend way too many late nights doing it,” Stencil said.
Her 16-year-old sister came up with the name for her business, Smudge Studios. Her sister was joking, but Stencil picked up on it immediately.
“Actually, I think that’s perfect for the impermanence of clay. It’s nothing until you fire it,” Stencil said. Smudge Studios also matches her initials.
When it comes to firing her pieces, Stencil prefers a method called raku. The clay pieces are dipped into ferric acid, sprinkled with sugar, sometimes decorated with horse hair, then wrapped in foil and heated until the foil almost melts. The result is rich colors such as deep red and mustard yellow.
“I love that because you never know what you’re going to get,” Stencil said.
There’s something special about seeing the pieces she has created on display or in use.
“I love having my dinnerware get used,” Stencil said. “I like seeing plants in the pots that I’ve made or seeing my mom drinking out of her teacup that I made her for Christmas. When people find value in what you’re doing, it’s really reassuring that you’re doing what you should be doing. It’s cool to hear that people love your pieces.”
Stencil works at Dakota Potters, a local clay supply company. They’ve “been propping up the clay community in the Midwest for 54 years,” she said.
Soon, she hopes to play a new role in that community herself. She is looking at locations where she can open a studio and teach classes to others. Unlike some artistic pursuits, working with clay does not have to be a solitary pursuit but can be done with others.
More than 40 makers will take part in this year’s 605 Made Holiday Market, which will take place in the lower-level parking garage of the original Cherapa Place building, which is on the east side of the Big Sioux River between Sixth and Eighth streets. It will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free.
605 Made is organized by Knotty Gnome Variety & Salvage, Sew Doggy Boutique and SiouxFalls.Business. It is sponsored by The First National Bank in Sioux Falls and Dakota Business Finance.
