Meet Lydia Quinones

We are excited to be starting our first Highlighted Local Artist series with Arizona-based artist Lydia Quinones! She creates her work though ceramic, textiles, and painting, often encompassing Asian and Native American themes. Here’s our interview with her:

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We asked Quinones: Is there a particular person or school that influenced you to be an artist?

I did my student teaching at an "alternative school" and the guiding teacher was wonderful! She was a ceramic artist and I was an introvert with very little knowledge of ceramics. At the time, my University had no placement for me as a student teacher and the education faculty weren't helpful, so my mother approached one of our neighbors, who happened to be an art teacher and pleaded for her to take me in as a student teacher. That day was a big, big turning point for me.

Golden Happy Cat

Do you like to use a finish on your sculptures?

“Some of the sculptures are glazed, but I have an allergy to glazes, so all of my works past 2019 will be glaze-free. Even to be in the same room as an open container of glaze, is difficult, so any color I need, is achieved with stains and oil paints, which seem to be less toxic. In the future, it'll be rare to find one of my glazed works.”

What was the inspiration for your sculpture titled "Golden Happy Cat"?

"We have two rescue cats from China and one of their favorite activities is crawl under the sheets when we're making the bed. They get feisty if we try to remove them. The idea for this sculpture came to me on a particular evening when I was struggling to put on the sheets without getting bit or scratched. The sculpture is delicate because the fabric is actually paper towel, dipped in clay slip."

What is your favorite medium to use and why?

“I love the world of fiber art for the textures and colors, but my favorite sculpting medium is Silly Putty...and the powdery wasabi that you get with takeout sushi. Both are very fun to manipulate, but sometimes I forget not to rub my eyes!”

If you are interested in purchasing any of these sculptures, please send us an email at gallery@thewalterproject.org