Featured Artist - Torchwood Studio
Monday, March 17th, 2008
What is your name? Todd Windsor
Where can people find you online? Well, first and foremost they can find me on Etsy at torchwoodstudio.etsy.com. I also have a MySpace page that I use for promotion, marketing and networking at http://www.myspace.com/torchwood_studio. Within the next month or so, my personal website www.torchwood-studio.com will be up and running. I also have a blog in the works http://torchwood-studio.typepad.com/torchwood_studio/ Hopefully, that will be up and running within the next couple of weeks.
What types of crafts do you make? I make unique handcrafted polymer clay functional art. Most of my pieces tend to be home/kitchen décor items or Holiday items. Mainly jewelry/keepsake bowls, candle holders, vases, pitchers, salt and pepper shakers, cookie jars and Christmas decorations. All of my pieces are created by using standard glass or ceramic items that I then cover with polymer clay in what ever pattern or theme that has recently inspired me.
How did you get into making unique polymer clay functional art? Great question with a funny answer! I have always made handcrafted gifts for my family at Christmas. I always thought that more feeling and thought went into a homemade gift rather than a store bought one. Anyone can buy a store bought gift…how many people can craft something original and specifically tailored to the person receiving the gift?
So, one year I was looking for a new gift idea that I could work with and I came across Polymer Clay. I played around with it thinking I could maybe sculpt some figurines. Well, I took my time and sculpted a baby Harp Seal (at least I thought it looked like a baby Harp Seal). Upon showing it off to everyone, I heard someone say, “Wow, isn’t that a really cute troll doll!” Needless to say, that was the end of my sculpting efforts.
Upon further meddling in the dark arts of polymer clay, I found that I had a knack for making functional art pieces and Christmas decorations that appealed to all of the women in my family. I then went on to make Military and Police themed items for many of the other cops that I work with.
What is your favorite thing about making unique polymer clay functional art? My favorite thing is just taking the hint of an idea and transforming it into a piece of art that others can enjoy. When I can take a few lumps of polymer clay, create a completely unique piece of art, and then see the look on a persons face when I give it to them…it just makes it all worthwhile to me.
What is your least favorite thing about it? All of my pieces are quite labor-intensive. Each piece (on average) can take between 6-12 hours to create from start to finish. Due to this, and working a full-time job, I can’t design and create as many pieces as I would like to. Also, the fingers tend to get a little sore from working with the clay for so long. But, as a close friend recently told when I complained about the sore fingers… “It builds character”
What is your favorite item currently for sale? http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9926821 
Why? That would be my Celtic Knot Jewelry/Keepsake Bowl. It was one of my first attempts at creating a polymer clay bowl with a Celtic knot and triquetras symbols inserted into the design and it came out so much better than I expected. As I closely identify with my family’s Irish heritage, this bowl has special meaning to me. As it seems to be a popular piece with so many people, I am in the process of creating other Celtic bowls that incorporate Celtic themes and symbology that resonate with me.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years, in your business? While I love working in Law Enforcement, I would really enjoy doing my art full-time in a dedicated studio. As I also teach at the Law Enforcement Academy, I would love to transfer those skills over to teaching polymer clay techniques to a future generation of artists.
Where do you create? I have set up a small studio within my home where I design and create new pieces. I also use this space to come up with new and innovative polymer clay techniques.
What inspires you? I can’t say that any one thing inspires me. It’s actually an amalgamation of things. My family, my work, things I see everyday. I also get a lot of creative inspiration by visiting other artists’ websites and seeing some of the amazing things they are creating.
What do you like to do besides crafting? Whenever it decides to warm up in NY, you can find me golfing, mountain biking, rock climbing or spending the day road tripping with some friends. I also like to visit art museums for the inspiration they provide.
What advice would you give someone wanting to get into making unique handcrafted polymer clay functional art? Do a lot of research. See what others are creating. Take all those techniques and styles and try to take them in a completely different direction. Experiment and see what works for you. As others before me have pointed out, never create something just because you think it will sell. Create and design pieces that you like, that you enjoy working on because your art is about you and what inspires you, not pandering to the lowest common denominator. If your art is known for its individuality and uniqueness then people will flock to your business. If you can create something not available anywhere else and, at the same time, its something that you find joy in making, people will find you and you’ll be constantly inspired everyday.
What are your current projects? Right now I’m working on some baby related items such as Nursery décor. I’m also working on some more home décor items with earth tone themes.
What is your favorite Etsy shop? I have so many favorite shops; it’s hard to pick just one.
Here’s a few of them:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5139320 – Copper Leaf Studios
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5418966 – RainWolf Studios
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5380797 – Lean Dog Pottery
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5467443 – Tim See Clay
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5504513 – Greenwood Studio
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5004997 – Marcia Palmer
Anything you’d like to share about your personal life? I’ve worked in one form or another of Law Enforcement for many years and I’ve been able to come home every night without serious injury. There are others who haven’t been so lucky. Due to this, a portion of all of the proceeds that I earn from my sales is donated to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund in memory of Officers killed in the line of duty. “In valor there is hope”
What would you do if you won 10 million dollars? That’s easy! I would donate some to worthwhile charitable organizations, make sure my parents and sister were set for life and I’d then invest the rest. I would then move back to Florida where I would open up Torchwood Studio and spend my days designing new pieces and taking polymer clay in new and different directions. I would also hold free classes at Torchwood Studio for all aspiring polymer clay artists!
What’s your favorite:
food? Sushi
number? 9
color? Purple
blog? http://polymerclaynotes.com/
scent? Sandalwood
band? Red Hot Chili Peppers
song? Home – Michael Buble
movie? The Shawshank Redemption
book? Debt of Honor – Tom Clancy
ice cream flavor? Chocolate with peanut butter chunks
Starbucks drink? Caffe Mocha – with an extra double shot of espresso, whole milk and whipped cream
restaurant? Ichiban – it’s a local Japanese Steak House here in Syracuse, NY. Amazing food!
What types of crafts do you make? Handmade soaps and lip balms using quality ingredients, only the best oils and color pigments I can find, and insane passion for what I do mixed into every bar.
new fragrance oils I tear open the box and immediately open each one to get a full whiff of the essence of what I will be working with. And I write down what it reminds me of…how it makes me feel. It’s from there I can take the next step: using it properly to invoke those same feelings and memories in you. I want to capture a moment of life in every single bar.
What makes your products special? None of my soaps contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) which is known to irritate the skin. The sodium lauryl sulfate found in commercial soaps and some other soaps on Etsy (it’s claimed as a lathering agent) is exactly the same as you would find in a car wash or even a garage, where it is used to degrease car engines. In the same way as it dissolves the grease on car engines, sodium lauryl sulfate also dissolves the oils on your skin, which can cause a drying effect. It is also well documented that it denatures skin proteins, which causes not only irritation, but also allows environmental contaminants easier access to the lower, sensitive layers of the skin. Hence, NONE of my soaps contain either SLS or SLES.
Learn ALL you can about it. Soap making isn’t a business you can just start up one day and jump into. You have to be well-aware of the types of ingredients you will be working with, how to properly measure and handle lye and other fats, the laws regulating the labeling and selling of cosmetic items, the properties of essential oils and fragrance oils you will be working with, just to name a few. Take some classes, read up all you can on the saponification process (the chemical reaction that occurs when fats or oils come into contact with lye) and then read some more. Talk to people in the industry and join soap making forums
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