Meet Teresa Pandora Salgado

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Polymer Clay Artist, Teresa "Pandora" Salgado

March 2015 Polymer Clay Cafe Magazine Cover with Teresa Pandora SalgadoIt’s my pleasure and joy today to introduce you to a polymer clay artist who is no stranger to the polymer clay community, Teresa “Pandora” Salgado. In fact we’ve had Teresa here before on the blog. [Click HERE to read Teresa’s Top Five] Teresa is a truly warm and special person. I met Teresa several years ago online through FaceBook and other online events we shared in together. Teresa is down to earth and approaches claying with a carefree attitude that is refreshing. Teresa is an accomplished artist and writes for Polymer Café Magazine, a member of the Sculpey Design Squad, has taught for 2 years at the Polymer Clay Adventure, is a teacher on Curious.com and many, many more.

Tell Us About Yourself

Elephant Box by Teresa Pandora SalgadoI’m a native Californian and a Granny of 5 boys. I live in Indiana with my boyfriend, Spike, whom I’ve known for 38 years.

I fell in love with millefiori in 2010 when a friend showed me a book about polymer clay.  I taught myself to cane by practicing six hours a day, seven days a week.  It’s my nature to lock on to something that interests me, and caning never fails to get my attention. I still make cane every day. After about 3 years, I was persuaded to make a video. The video did well; so I made a few more. (My videos have been seen in 151 countries with nearly a million views.) Shortly thereafter I started receiving offers to teach on pay sites and write magazine articles about caning.

I’ve now had my work on two covers of Polymer Café magazine, I teach on YouTube and I’m a designer on Polyforms’s elite Sculpey Design Squad. Astonishing luck!

What’s the History of Your Art and How Did it Grow to What It Is Today?

"la muerte" by Teresa Pandora SalgadoIf I had to say why my art is unique, I’d say it’s because my caning consists of a strange combination of abandon and precision. I like to radically alter the canes throughout the construction. I call it “Pandorafication”. I also like to sculpt with cane, a process I named “scayning” (sculpting + caning).

Where Do You Create Your Art?

Teresa Pandora Salgado Polymer Clay StudioMy studio is in my bedroom. I have a single bed and the rest of the room is all worktable, computers, video equipment and storage shelves.

What’s Your Favorite Thing to Do with Clay?

Elephant Box by Teresa Pandora SalgadoMillefiori will always be number one with me. The Great Christi Friesen once told me, “I think caning appeals to your sense of order”. That sums it up perfectly.

Explain Your Process.

Art Jewelry Adventure Project with Teresa Pandora Salgado - Steampunk CuffsMost of my non-caned projects, like my steampunk hourglass, phone dock and wind chimes, and my potion bottle amulets, are the result of vivid dreams. I’ve dreamed like that since childhood and I always try to make the visions come to life. I’m superstitious about it, as if the dreams will stop coming if I don’t create them.

What is Your Favorite Piece You’ve Created?

Cheese dome by Teresa Pandora SalgadoI’m fickle about which items are my favorites. It changes when I make something new; but I do love the La Muerte sculpture I made after I saw Book of Life. I think it’s my favorite because, even though I’m sculpture-challenged, my BF fell in love with it. I gave it to him for his birthday.

One of my dreams brought me the cheese dome lamp.  I dreamed about a millefiori lamp that looked like a cake stand with a cover and the cane was very middle eastern in gold, crimson, yellow and brown. When I woke up I made the cane and I really liked it; but I didn’t have any idea what I would actually use for the lamp. It’s not like I had a cake stand laying around.  Later I remembered I had a cheese dome so I caned up the dome and then drilled the base to install a light socket. You may see it on the Fire Mountain Gems website, where it made the finals.

Who Is Your Polymer Clay Idol?

Trans Dome by Teresa Pandora SalgadoChristi Friesen is my idol. I’ve taken two classes in my life and they were both with Christi. She is a generous woman who shares her art and her love with clayers around the world.

 

 

 

 

Find Teresa Here:

YouTube * FaceBook


Do you want to see more of our Featured Artists? CLICK HERE

Do you want to be a featured artist? CLICK HERE

Thanks for joining me today,

Until next time, Happy Claying my friends!

KatieSignature

 

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4 thoughts on “Meet Teresa Pandora Salgado

  1. Hi Katie and Pandora! Great article by one of my favorite clayer about another of my favorite clayer! So glad I fell into the polymer clay world last year meeting Katie in person and Pandora on the web.
    Thank you both for sharing yourselves and your art.

    1. I agree with everything said about Teresa Pandora, She is a very special gal, even if I do say so myself….
      I’m her Mom…..Jatkin

  2. What a lovely article! I love learning about other talented polymer clay artist and how the think/create!

  3. Teresa is my inspiration, I came across her while looking at YouTube and basically I haven’t looked back. Teresa has a very calming presence and although I don’t make many canes I do always love looking at the colour combinations and ideas that Teresa has and I truly hope I can produce a cane that has that wow factor that’s Teresa’s canes do. I am currently and have been for a few months now saving money so my husband and I can visit America in 2017 and I will most definitely be meeting up with Teresa and hopefully do some craft shopping and also playing with clay.

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