We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Roxanne Casas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Roxanne , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I learned the basics of ceramics at CSU Channel Islands. I realized I wanted to pursue a career with ceramics a couple years after transferring from Ventura College to CSUCI in 2016. While I didn’t know it then, I wish now that I had pursued an in-depth education in ceramics that started in high school but there’s no use in thinking like that now.

Back to 2016, my professor knew just how to push me in the studio. The professors I’ve been lucky enough to learn from have a keen eye for pushing any and all students to do/want more in creative processes and building the foundation for the potential career paths and opportunities. While supervised by my professor and advanced students, I was tasked with loading/unloading electric and gas kilns. Then I learned how to fire the kilns. These tasks were so daunting at first, but the only way you learn in ceramics is by doing. The most essential skills that helped me achieve the understanding of these processes were patience and problem-solving. That’s what ceramics is about! And of course all the safety precautions we take. Always mop, never sweep. While we’re on the topic of safety, something that held me back for a very important process in ceramics was that the university does not allow students to mix the studio glazes. I didn’t start learning that until 2023, when I took a course with the head of ceramics back at VC. I had graduated with a BA in 2020 and I realized I still had so much to learn and found out that there was a glaze theory course taught where I had transferred from. Now it’s come full circle, and I’ve gained so much knowledge from so many people in these two academic studios. Marianne McGrath of CSUCI and Jenchi Wu of Ventura College are powerhouse professors that

continue to push me and so many other students/artists to make the most out of our time in the studio.

I’m still learning so much every day. The world of ceramics education is too vast to know everything and that’s what makes everything so exciting!

Roxanne , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was born and raised in Ventura County. Not so much near the beach like a lot of people might assume. I live closer to Six Flags. I tend to spend most days in a studio whether that be at home or at Ventura College where I take at least one course a semester. If I’m at home, I’m getting work done on the computer and if it’s not work then it may be video games. I grew up with two older brothers so gaming has always been a way we bond.

I’m a ceramicist and art educator. I go by @earth_slinger on Instagram where you can see what I’ve got going on at the moment.

I started teaching in 2021. I was asked to fill in for a friend for a week and the coordinator at the time saw me as a natural teacher. I am now teaching courses in a ceramics program at the Cole Creativity Center through the Santa Paula Art Museum in Santa Paula. I teach hand-building courses along with other more specific workshops like Kurinuki, Mishima and underglaze decoration. Most of my coworkers are from my alma mater which makes for a great familial environment. I love teaching because I’m passing along all the information I’ve learned throughout the years to students of all ages. I get to have a fresh look at clay through the students’ eyes. I learn just as much as I teach most days.

In my personal practice, I make work that delves into human experiences and emotions in a way that feels cryptic and ancient. I take a lot of inspiration from ancient ceramics, video games and humanity as a whole. Technically speaking, I make most of my work and get it fired at the Ventura College studio. I’m also learning how to fire those kilns because I’m a provisional hire for the ceramics studio. I’m also secretary for the Ventura College Clay Club so I help put together the meetings. I basically live at the studio at this point and I’m not complaining. I love that place!

Besides learning/teaching, I’m looking to submit my work into more galleries. Not only does it feel great to be accepted and share my work but it’s a great way to network and another line on my CV for artist residencies. That’s another goal I have right now. I sell work every now and then through local art markets or college vending opportunities and even sometimes on my front lawn if there’s enough traffic. I’m a firm believer in walking the walk so I think a lot of the opportunities that I come across are a result of all the work I put in. I show up, and I get things done. I may not know everything, but I know a lot and I’m always willing to learn. I have no problem getting dirty (with clay, of course).

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

There are a couple ways. In this age of technology where algorithms control what we see and interact with; a like or comment goes a long way. If you see someone working hard on social media and you’re genuinely impressed or in awe of a creative process, like the post. Comment. Share. It makes a huge difference. It’s not about validation, it’s about getting more people interested in the arts. As a community of artists, that’s what we want. We want to see us thriving, it gives us hope. If there are more eyes on one, there can be more eyes on others. And with that, more opportunities will pop-up.

The other way is changing your perspective of the artist. To stop seeing an artist as a singular person. It’s a business. Most artists are wearing a majority, if not all, of the hats. We are our marketing team, managers, workers, and sales people. So the next time you go to that art market and you have some extra cash, just think, that hand-made coffee mug might make your coffee taste better knowing you supported that small business.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to understand the human experience as best as I can. That’s a lifelong devotion and journey. Through art of all types, I find it to be the best way to see through an abundance of perspectives. I am constantly learning about myself and others through art. Our views on topics can be the same, but even then, it can be depicted in many ways.

Specifically through my art, I aim to work through thoughts and feelings. I see the world clearly when I can execute my ideas in a 3-dimensional approach. It doesn’t have to make sense to everyone else and vice versa, but we learn all these little things about each other through the viewings and interactions with our art.

You gain so much when you’re open to all the perspectives in the arts.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://earthslinger.weebly.com/
• Instagram: @earth_slinger