Layl McDill

 

Statement of Mentorship Philosophy
Layl McDill

The mentorship program can offer a structured setting to explore and learn about yourself as an artist.  I see myself as a guide and a support to help the protégée find their path to becoming the kind of artist they are meant to be.  It is very important to me to listen and hear your passions and desires and help you reach towards the small goals and the large ones by sharing my own experience as an artist.   The process is a thrilling unwrapping and unfolding of yourself.

I find that the most important part of the program is to examine what it is that really makes you get excited about creating and making your art and to help you hone your skills.   I am all about positive feedback and encouragement.  I won’t force you down a path that is not for you.  I feel that if you find the elements of creating that you truly love you will be driven to practice this art form, learning from the mistakes and pushing yourself to higher levels.

If you are interested in making money from your art I also feel it is important to find form of marketing that you enjoy.  I have made a living off my art for 17 years and have tried a wide range of venues.  I look for ways to sell that are enjoyable and fit my personality and think this is important for everyone that is hoping to sell their art.  I have had experience in selling at art festivals, galleries, on the web, Etsy.  I also make part of my living teaching and doing “clay parties”.  Just recently I’m moving into the public art field with a commission for the Children’s Hospital.   I market my art in many venues including print advertising, facebook, e-newsletters, and much more.  I am happy to share my learning experience in all of these fields.

I am the mother of two daughters (age 13 and 10) and have worked full time as an artist all of their lives so I can relate to the challenges and importance of balancing life and art creating.  I think it’s important to work really hard but to also know when to take breaks and when to slow down.  This is always a struggle and it really helps to be involved in programs like WARM where you can at least commiserate with others that experience these same challenges.   Being a mentor has been a very rewarding experience and I look forward to working with artists that are devoted to the journey of finding their true passions and going where ever they may take you.

Biography

When Layl McDill was twelve she decided to never grow up.  At the time she was living in Gillette, Wyoming and spending countless hours building “Smurf” villages, making marionettes and learning every kind of craft possible to enter in the 4-H fair.   This adventurous free spirit is what led her to discover polymer clay and to continue to play with clay for a living.

Layl received her art degree from the Columbus College of Art and Design in illustration.  She imagined a life of writing and illustrating children’s books but soon discovered that she enjoyed the freedom of running her own business and selling her art directly to customers.  This relationship with the art buyer has become very important in her art making- knowing that her art lives with people and makes them smile on a daily basis is a wonderful end reward.

Layl now lives in Minneapolis with her two daughters and  husband Josh Blanc who is a tile artist.  In 1999 they opened Clay Squared to Infinity which is a showroom and studio for their art in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District.

Statement

Polymer clay has become my medium of choice over the past fifteen years.  The swirling of colors to mix an endless array of colors is something I never tire of.  And then to build these colors into a millefiore cane is always a challenging puzzle that will keep me obsessed until the cane is stretched out and sliced to reveal the tiny picture I have created.  The pile of these canes and other scraps soon become creatures of all types.

Recently I have rediscovered my love for stories.  Many of my pieces have story-like titles and my newest work has started to incorporate a whole story into the piece.  I like to let these stories emerge through the art first- letting the expressions on the characters and their surroundings tell me the story.  I try to look for magic in everyday occurrences and objects- constantly trying to hold on to that wonder that I remember from childhood before I knew what things were really for and the meaning of things.

I love to create sculptures that have multi layers in the way the piece is viewed and perceived.   The visual effect comes from the tiny pieces of millefiore that cover a sculpture-  at first you see the over all sculpture but as you look closer you see images making up other patterns- skunks, turtles, fish, cats, bugs and so on-  you feel like you can never see it all.  I also try to achieve multi layers in meaning and story by using symbolism that can be either personal or universal.  Every time you come to a piece I hope that you see and experience something new.