An Interview with Sarah Feingold, Tine Bird
What's cuter than something small? Something Smaller!
Sarah Feingold, also known as Tine Bird, has become a professional in the art of creating the smallest and the cutest ceramic creatures you've ever seen. Sarah recently joined the A.MANO Brooklyn menagerie of local artists, and you can find her sweet ceramic pigeons and charms in the store.
We picked Sarah's brain about what it means to be an artist, and why the delicate and small continue to call to her.
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What does crafting/creating mean to you?
I come from a long line of makers, so crafting and creating are practically glittered into my DNA. There is a kind of magic in moving from a loose concept all the way to a physical, tangible object. I am constantly thinking about the next project.
To me, creativity requires a willingness to make something bad. You can't separate the good ideas from the bad ones without going through the messy process. The only way for me to know whether an idea is worthwhile, is to see it through. Even bad ideas can teach me something. While the rare 'good' ideas are the fuel that keeps me moving forward, the real reward is creating a finished piece that genuinely connects with another person.
What interests you about using porcelain as your chosen medium?
Porcelain requires care and understanding as it morphs from sticky clay to brittle greenware. But once fired in the kiln to around 2000 degrees F, the final piece can outlive us all. Working with clay has forced me to slow down. I cannot force the process. I have to work on the clay's timeline, not my own.
There's also some unknown secrecy that happens in the kiln. Sometimes a piece comes out of that intense heat completely transformed in ways that I could never have planned.
How long have you been teaching for? Both in academia and your creative classes.
Once I learn something, my natural instinct is to pass that knowledge along. While I have been teaching law in academia for about five years, I have been sharing my artistic findings for the majority of my life, starting way back when I was a teenage camp counselor. Whether I am guiding a creative workshop or lecturing about copyright law, I thrive on student interaction. I always walk away having learned something new from the people in my room.
What is it about the process that makes you want to keep creating charms?
I love miniatures. What's cuter than something small? Something smaller! As an artist, I enjoy the challenge of packing personality and detail into something wearable and tiny. Ultimately, a collection of tiny things grouped together is just so fun and joyful.
What inspires you to create?
My work is inspired by Brooklyn's bustling streets and friendly wildlife. The city is full of hidden character, but city life often moves fast. Ceramics forces me to slow down, be present, steady my hand, and pay close attention to the small details. Ultimately, what inspires me to keep creating is the magic that happens when things go right in the studio. I also love the genuine smiles those finished pieces bring to people's faces.
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Sarah Feingold will be teaching classes at A.MANO Brooklyn this summer, and her work can be purchased at A.MANO Brooklyn.