Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne-Gaillard Duddy.
Hi Anne-Gaillard, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been working with clay ever since I was a little kid. I always did different types of art projects in grade school, and I first tried a pottery wheel around 4th grade or so. After that, I must’ve been hooked because my parents enrolled me in lots of after-school classes in the following years, all in response to my asking for more.
I will never forget a conversation with my dad when I was a senior in high school. I did fine in school, but pretty much associated school with books and wasn’t too excited about more of them. So, one day, my dad said, “Where do you want to go to college?” And me, equating that question with more books, replied, “I don’t want to go to college.” Thankfully, he said, “You’re going to college. What do you like to do?” The rest of that conversation led me to apply to Winthrop University and receive my BFA in Ceramics. What was the most precious thing to me was the encouragement I received from my parents. Without them helping to draw out what I wanted, I wouldn’t have the focus and direction that I have in my work right now. I eventually ended up receiving an MFA in Ceramics from Radford University in 2012.
That is how I got started. Now, I am a potter, a wife, and mom to three precious daughters. They are the inspiration behind the name Three Little Teapots. They love to ‘make clay with mommy’ and to come with me to deliver work to galleries and stores. It’s a privilege to teach them not only how to express themselves, but to have this business together as a family. They know they’re a part of Three Little Teapots, not secondary to it.
I have two foundational rules for myself. 1. I will never put my family into second place, and 2. Everything I make has to be made while having fun. If I feel rushed or pressured to make something, then that pressure will show in my work. My work is a display of life, joy, family, and fun.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are always different times and seasons that bring their own obstacles- some easier or harder than others. I suppose one of my first struggles was after graduating from undergrad. I had moved back home and opened a pottery business, but quickly realized a couple of things. Of course, the reality of finances began kicking in, but, more personally, my style needed to stand out. I had learned a lot of necessary techniques, and could make quality work, but I really felt like my work looked the same as the next potter. Not bad, but not unique enough. I knew I had more to give, but I needed help to grow as a potter, especially if I was going to be making a business of it. That spurred the desire to begin researching grad school.
As you know, we’re big fans of Three Little Teapots. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Three Little Teapots has a couple different avenues of work. Primarily, I create porcelain pottery. I simply LOVE mugs personally (we have more mugs in our kitchen than we do glasses), but I also make plates, bowls, vases, and sculptural works as well. I enjoy making work that people can use either to eat and drink from, or to decorate their home with. I grew up by the beaches of Charleston, SC, so all my work is inspired by ocean life. I love creating by utilizing a variety of sculptural techniques, combined with various layers of colors. Natural colors arranged with pops of brighter colors are often finished with shimmers of gold. You will see lots of starfish, seaweed, sand dollars, jellyfish, and blue waves in my work.
A second revenue stream is wholesale items. These tend to focus on my brown sugar keepers, which are made of earthenware clay. Each one of them is hand formed, and continues with my ocean theme.
The third focus of my business is quite new actually! I’m really excited about it. We will be hosting a fair for young entrepreneurs. We will have our first one on Nov 29th, at the Arts Place in Danbury, NC. It is called Big Dreams: Small Business Fair, and it is open to vendors ages 8-18 years old. I arranged the time and place, and if a kid wants to learn how to sell their product, they can apply. There is a small $5 fee, only to teach them that sometime you have to give a little to make some more and, also, what it means to make a profit. They will learn how to fill out an application, follow guidelines for setting up and taking down a booth, learn how to display their work, and make transactions with a customer. I’ve been attending fairs since I was 18, and I’ve been in many different types of events and situations. Now, as a mom, I’ve let my daughter have a corner of my table to be able to sell little bracelets she makes. To see her face light up the very first time a customer said they would buy one just made me feel so excited for her and proud that she put herself out there. I want to provide that opportunity for other kids, and help them be encouraged as they learn new things.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
When I was in college, it was common to find art students working on projects around the clock and living in the studio. There was a mindset of putting yourself so far into your work that the work became all that mattered. I would encourage anyone to never sacrifice family time for your art. I understand everyone has different family dynamics, but time is precious and family is a gift from Jesus.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.threelittleteapots.com
- Instagram: @threelittleteapots
- Facebook: HTTPS://facebook.com/threelittleteapots
Image Credits
Jonathan Riddle- brown sugar keeper
