Clay Dragons with Ayslyn's Aviary
Have you seen some of the adorable dragons by Ayslyn’s Aviary and wondered the stories behind them and how Whitney got started? Read on for more information about her dragons, some tips for being an entrepreneur, and being a sculptor.
By Michele of VAMICreations and Ayslyn’s Aviary
MurderWyrm Dragon
Tell us a little about yourself.
Hi there! My name is Whitney and I’m the artist behind Ayslyn’s Aviary. I’m a new mom to a super smiley and giggling 3-month-old boy, a cat mom to six balls of fur and an avid Pathfinder/D&D player.
How did you get started sculpting?
I actually started playing with polymer clay as a kind of grief therapy in 2014 after losing my first child shortly after birth. Her name was Evelynn, Eevee for short – and yes, just like the Pokemon. I ended up with a lot of memorial tokens for her, two of which were made from polymer clay. One was a grief sculpture from @themidnightorange and the other was a tiny Eevee from an artist who’s no longer active. There was something about the 3d medium that really spoke to me, so I did some research, grabbed some clay and had a good number of failures in the beginning.
How did you start Ayslyn’s Aviary?
The business itself started a few years later after revisiting and abandoning claying a few times. I was looking for a way to branch out from writing and I was inspired seeing other artists make and sell their clay creations for a living. So I basically decided that if others were able to do it, I wanted to try too.
How long has Ayslyn’s Aviary been around?
We’re about to hit the 3 year mark and writing that out makes me realize that the time has really been flying!
What is Ayslyn’s Aviary all about?
The dragons of course! The community too, and the continual challenge all artists thrive on; always trying new things and pushing to be better than we were yesterday.
What gave you the idea/inspiration?
Aside from being inspired by others who were sculpting for a living, I have to give credit to the really stressful desk job I was working at the time Ayslyn’s Aviary started. The money was really good but I struggled a lot with the environment and the demands, all while feeling like my artistic spirit was withering away. I think the combination of the two was really what enabled me to have a go at sculpting dragons fulltime.
How do you choose the sculptures you create?
I used to make almost every idea that came to mind, but now with an infant my time is stretched much thinner and I have to be more selective with what I make. I still always go for a design/theme that I feel inspired by in that moment, but I also try to keep my audience’s taste and preferences in mind. Like right now especially as we go into the Halloween season, pumpkins and witch’s hats are super popular for me.
What has inspired you to create different sculptures?
Pretty much anything and everything around me could be a source of inspiration at any time; for me, my frame of mind is almost more important than the source of inspiration. But when I’m planning something – especially something new – I like to browse Pinterest specifically to brainstorm and plan.
What is your favorite type of dragon to create?
This is a tough one because I’m of the opinion that if the newest dragon I’ve just created is always my new all-time favorite then I’m doing something right. The styles I keep coming back to – and ones that are popular with my community – would have to be my bookwyrms, the witchy dragons and the steampunk babies.
What would you tell a new sculptor for encouragement?
I know it’s super generic and everyone says it, but seriously just keep practicing. And make sure you get the right tools and the right kind of clay for what you want to do. Polymer clay has a front-heavy learning curve sometimes.
What is something you are passionate about and why?
I’m pretty passionate about community building and encouraging other artists, especially early in their journeys. Having others drop comments or message me something positive or encouraging kept me going when I wanted to give up, so I do my best to pay that sentiment forward in the community.
If you had one (or several) things to share with a woman entrepreneur, what would it be? What would you encourage them about?
I would say lean into your strengths, remember to celebrate your successes and remember that your path and your priorities might look different than others’ but that doesn’t make them any less valid.
What is a lesson learned for being a woman entrepreneur that you wish someone had told you when you first started?
Don’t let other people invalidate you. Even now three years in, I still have people – family and friends – ask if I’m still “doing that thing” like it’s not a real job and they fully expect me to have given it up. At the end of your 20 hour workday, they don’t have any room to talk.
What is your dream for Ayslyn’s Aviary to be (where do you see Ayslyn’s Aviary in 5+ years)?
Oh gosh. I’m sure it’s just the new mom sleep deprivation but right now I’m lucky if I can plan to the end of the week. I think I’d be happy though if I’m still working with clay and my community base has grown. My authenticity is really important to me, so as long as I’m still out there experimenting and enjoying the art that’s really all that matters.
How has COVID changed or impacted your vision/strategy?
Not as much as a lot of people, I’m sure. COVID has definitely made me aware of how vulnerable my supply chains are and how quickly shortages happen. In the past, I’ve always allowed myself “sick time” so I’m never touching any of my workspace while ill, so my general health precautions haven’t changed too much. I’m also working with returning customers especially around tighter budgets, trying to find a balance between still feeding people’s dragon needs and needing funds to actually run a business.
What is something that has helped you get through the during this global pandemic?
I’m pretty introverted so it took a lot longer for that pandemic fatigue to hit me than I think it did others, but once it did I held onto my Pathfinder and D&D groups really hard. One was already online so it didn’t change at all, but having that bit of interaction and being able to forget being me and step into a fantasy landscape for a while has continued to be one of my favorite parts of every week.
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Thank you for joining us with the interview of Whitney from Ayslyn’s Aviary and thank you to Whitney for the interview!!