Meet Lisa Bradley: Artist and Owner of Savannah’s Clay Spot

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Bradley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
The values and principles that matter most when running my business is pretty much the same way as I ran my life, with a lot of heart and soul. I use my heart as a moral compass to give me direction and with decision making. I believe with all my heart in the “Golden Rule” and use it as my driving force with working with others. Being kind and helpful allows me to connect with others which develops meaningful relationships. My business involves creating a community of people who all share a common interest. As the leader of this group, my attitude and approach set the tone. Creating a welcoming and all-inclusive environment nurtures a positive experience. Kindness is truly contagious. Running your own business takes commitment and a lot of hard work. This is where the soul comes in. Doing what you truly love and what is are passionate about fuels great energy which keeps you motivated and going. A love for clay is deeply rooted in my soul and I believe it shows in everything that I do. It’s with this passion that makes my world and sharing this world with other a better place.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I was first introduced to clay as a child in an after-school pottery class in elementary school. I didn’t touch clay again until college. As soon as I touched the medium all the wonderful nostalgic memories from childhood came rushing back and that’s how the love affair with ceramics began. After college, I only pursued jobs involving ceramic studios and gained a wealth of experience managing different art organizations. The most important thing I took away from each experience was how to work with others. No matter what job you have most times it’s not the actual work that creates problems it’s the interactions of the people around you, whether co-workers or customers, it all about how we treat each other that makes the biggest difference. With this realization made and experience under my belt, I leaped forward to create a special space where people can learn and grow. I have to admit, clay can get messy, it looks way easier than done, and in fact, it can be downright hard at times, not to even begin to start with all the disappointments that come along the way of making. It’s my job to keep everything positive and encouraging and to be everyone’s cheerleader. My biggest competition is with all the fantastic social media videos of potter’s making with clay look easy and effortless where the reality is much different. The world of clay always keeps us on our toes and is always creating new challenges to overcome. As clay artists, we create three-dimensional objects that communicate as a visual and often tactile language. For me, I view each clay piece as a functional work of art to be enjoyed and uplift our daily routines to a new level. I tend to make familiar functional objects that tell a story of sweet happy thoughts and memories from another time, with the pursuit to create joy in the current moment.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The city of Savannah is easy to walk and make discoveries along the way. I would actually start at my studio, Savannah’s Clay Spot to introduce them to my world of clay and show them where local pottery is made. From there we would travel through the Victorian district up Bull Street to Forsyth Park, a southern city’s version of a “Central Park” where locals embrace nature through play and leisure. We would definitely admire the park’s main attraction, its beautiful fountain. If’s it’s a Saturday we can visit the local farmers market and get some great homegrown produce. Continuing north we would walk deeper into the downtown and walk through many of its 22 squares. Walking through the squares you gain a real appreciation and sense of city life here. If you look to the east and west sides of the square you will find either a church or government building while the south and north sides of the square contain residence, inns, and small retail shops, and in the middle, you’ll always find a monument or other architectural detail. These squares have been labeled as the cities “outdoor living rooms” where neighbors and friends meet to socialize. Continuing to head north we’ll pass some incredible restaurants. Some that I would stop in at right off our path of Bull street is locally owned Fire Street Food, Collins Quater, or The Public Kitchen and Bar. For a great cup of coffee and a fun sweet treat, we would go to Franklin’s coffee shop. Continuing north we would come across Broughton Street our busy main street. There you will be introduced to lots of locally own shops and we would stop at my favorites, the Paris Market, a unique antique, housewares shop, and the Savannah Bee Company for local honey and Nourish for handmade bath products made here in Savannah. Finishing where we started with local art on our mind always, we would venture into City Market which is filled with artist studios, galleries, like Signature and Kobo surrounded by shops and great restaurants. We couldn’t leave without getting a slice of Pizza at Vinnie Van Go-Gos. We would end our tour finally on River Street for an evening stroll along the riverfront where you might see a huge cargo ship pass by as well as visit more great art galleries, representing local artists like Gallery 209 including Derek Larson’s ceramic work made at our studio. If it’s more local art and pottery you are looking for I would have to take you to Merchants on Bee, which is more midtown and where all the locals shop. There you could spend hours walking through looking for more artist handmade pottery that is made at Savannah’s Clay Spot by Claudia Mills and Ashley Havy. If you have little ones who love art, we would be sure to drop into Jepson Art Museum and Henny Penny Art Space and Cafe where at places they can dive right in and start making with their hand on art activities. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Without the support of my family, I would not be able to run my own business. They are continually giving and patient and for that, I am forever grateful.

In addition to my immediate family, I am thankful for my Savannah’s Clay Spot family. They are the ones who create our Savannah’s Clay Spot Community. They are the ones who give back as much as you give, if not more. They are the ones who spread the love, enthusiasm, and kindness, creating a positive supportive environment. Without their efforts, our space would not be special and somedays even a magical place. I created a foundation and they deserve credit for building an incredible community.

There are a few members of the Savannah’s Clay family that deserve extra special recognition and those are my right-hand women and men who I couldn’t run the studio smoothly without these talented artists. They are Susan Davenport, Ashley Havy, and Derek Larson. Also, super supporters of the studio are Constance Gabrielli, Bonnie Gentes, and Claudia Mills.

Website: www.savannahsclayspot.com

Instagram: savannahsclayspot

Facebook: Savannah’s Clay Spot

Image Credits
Photo by LeeAnn Ritch