I began working in figurative ceramics about twenty five years ago when I lived in Los Angeles. It came about as a creative way of working with my dreams and the depth work and study during my time in the analyst training program at the C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles. Conscious engagement of unconscious imagery being core to that practice. Mythology and fairytales viewed symbolically are a rich source of imagery and archetypal motifs which I also draw upon.

In 2006 my husband and I moved to Italy where we lived for three years. While living in Florence I worked in a local sculptors studio for a short time but apart from that my ceramic work was on hold. We then moved to London for ten years. During that time I discovered the practice of SoulCollage which caught my imagination and I went on to take the facilitators training in Zurich. For the next twelve years I hosted one day workshops on creativity, intuition and the magic of imaginal engagement in Italy, London, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara in addition to my private practice as a psychotherapist. The joy of collage making is that it is available for anyone. No artistic talent or ability is needed, just the physical ability to tear/cut and paste paper imagery fueled by intuition, feeling and imagination.

We moved to Santa Barbara in 2019 and shortly after that I discovered a clay studio nearby. My first class was with a wonderful spirit named Faryn Fee. She became my teacher, sometime collaborator and dear friend. As things developed I began to combine the practices of collage and sculptural clay work. One day Faryn and I were looking around a great store we have here called Art From Scrap and I came across several plaster slip molds of dolls heads, legs and arms. This was the beginning of my ‘clayage’. The birth of the weird creatures and beings you see amongst my ceramics.

More recently I have been creating a series of boat images in my collage work and also three dimensionally in clay. I am now at the elder stage of life and with that comes the reflection and celebration of a long life lived. Having a sturdy boat (container) to carry us through life’s stormy seas, smooth sailing and doldrums is an enormously helpful and hopeful image for me. Being and staying creative, in whatever form, is vital to navigate the waters of old age and, at any stage of our journey. It is in effect, keeping ones finger on the pulse of life.

I hope my work will amuse, inspire and encourage your own creative expression and if it’s not your cup of tea, that’s ok too!

— Sandra Vigon