Meet Edie Frylings of Edie Marie Ceramics in Arvada

Today we’d like to introduce you to Edie Frylings.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Art as a business was not something I ever thought I would, or could, do. Instead of studying art in college, I chose the path of well rounded liberal arts – in part because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but also because I wasn’t sure what a life with art at the center of it would look like.

After graduating college, going back to school to get a license to teach elementary school, and then working in schools for several years – I reached a crossroads. One path meant having teaching as the center of my life and the other was an unknown path with art at the center. I chose art.

Art as a business was and still is, scary. I would much prefer to give away everything I make. But we all know how well that would work out…

When I decided to take art on full time, I still wasn’t sure what it would look like, and so I named my business Masterpiece Doodle. Masterpiece Doodle was a name that allowed me the flexibility to figure things out. And so I painted pet portraits to fund ceramics classes and materials as I figured things out.

As I began to find my voice in clay, I also found out that I was pregnant. It was a wonderful time and I was excited to take on motherhood and continue my art. But things didn’t work out the way anyone expected. I lost my baby, Annabelle, 22 weeks into my pregnancy. I had to stop everything to grieve. Going back to art was painful, but also healing. It was a slow climb back to normalcy. Annabelle became my reason why. She forced me to find a focus and motivation that wasn’t there before. Without the loss of her, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

As I began to further define my vision and voice in ceramics, I realized that the name Masterpiece Doodle no longer applied. I was making and selling enough pottery that I stopped painting portraits and my focus was 100% clay. And so Edie Marie Ceramics was born. I wanted my name to be front and center.

Along with the birth of Edie Marie Ceramics also came the birth of my second daughter, Matilda. But again, things couldn’t be simple. Matilda was born just shy of 27 weeks into my pregnancy. Once again, everything had to stop and the NICU became my life. We stayed a long 70 days in the NICU before Matilda got to come home. And now my work is full-time mom and part-time ceramicist. Juggling the two is thrilling, exhausting, and made possible by the friends and family that support me.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I am truly figuring this out as I go and taking both extreme pleasure and acute pain in the process. I’ve come to realize that working creating ceramic pieces for others to enjoy is exactly how I want to spend my time, making a living doing so requires a solid amount of drudgery that I was not expecting. I am not a natural business person, and so playing the game in a smart way is something I will always be working on.

Also, when you’re a solo operation, your personal life bleeds into your business. Maintaining my business and creative drive while losing one baby and then having another in the NICU for 70 days is most definitely disruptive to the path I thought I would be taking. But these are also the things that teach you the most about yourself and how to continue forward with focus, strength, and grit.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Edie Marie Ceramics – what should we know?
Edie Marie Ceramics makes geometric inspired pottery for the home and garden. All of my pieces are hand-built from clay slabs and then decorated using a screen printing process. The combination of geometric forms and geometric patterns is unlike any other hand made pottery you have seen.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
When I moved to Arvada, I immediately searched for the nearest ceramics studios. I’m lucky to live just minutes away from the Arvada Center, and it is there that I found a home and springboard for everything that I do today. In particular, Bebe Alexander, Megan Ratchford, and John Hamilton have been integral in helping me learn all there is to know in both making and selling ceramics.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ediemarieceramics.com/
• Email: ediemarieceramics@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ediemarieceramics/

Image Credit:
Edie Marie Ceramics

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