Heidi Inez Illustrates combines her love of ceramics and fashion to create vibrant, contemporary homeware pieces. Heidi’s ceramics rare both decorative and fully functional. Each piece is one of a kind, hand-drawn and painted directly onto green and bisqueware.
“I have always loved portraiture and capturing people that strike me on my travels, often head to toe in vintage, vibrant colours and adorned in accessories, those with a disregard of convention. Often I try to capture a sense of whimsy, pensiveness or sass in my work, exploring the multi-faceted and complex nature of female expression.
I love ceramics as no clay goes to waste, you can endlessly recycle scrap pieces and experiments before firing.”
What is your favourite aspect of running your own creative business?
I love the flexibility that comes with running your own business, being able to do what I love from the comfort of home. The more I make, the more I want to make and experiment with new ideas.
What challenges do you face working for yourself?
The main challenges are keeping up to date with social media and admin, content creation takes a lot of time and it’s hard to not feel pressured to appear “perfect” online.
What does your typical day look like?
I work a part time job as a teaching assistant, but on my off days, I wake up, have a cup of tea and check my emails. I walk to my grandparents and prep the studio space. I’ll spend anywhere between 4 and 8 hours making, listening to podcasts and music as I go. What I’m working on changes day to day!
Can you share your journey since leaving UAL and setting up your business?
Since leaving UAL, I knew I wanted to combine my illustration practice with my knowledge and love of ceramics. Having been given some old studio equipment, this felt like the perfect opportunity to play with new techniques.
Do you have a special affinity with any of the products from your collection?
I love the Tube Girls series, as it feels like a celebration of the city and all the different people you encounter on your daily travels.
What hopes do you have for the future?
I would love to be able to support myself full time with my ceramics/freelance work and have the opportunity to collaborate with some fashion brands I admire.
What advice would you offer students or recent graduates wanting to start their own business?
To just really go for any opportunity you find that feels like a right fit! The worst someone can say is no and it can be really helpful to get feedback on your work.
