Meet Kyle Guymon | Potter

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

Hi Kyle, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
The time that I am able to spend in my studio has changed dramatically. Before I became a father most of my studio time was spend in the afternoon, making, creating, exploring and testing. Once I became a father my studio time was split between watching my girls, getting enough sleep and making work. Now that they are getting older I am starting to get back into the studio in the afternoons but I now do most of my work in the evenings or late into the night on weekends. I have learned to be more selective of the ideas and tests that I want to try out. With studio time not being what it use to be, I have to make sure that I maximizing the time that I do have. I’m lucky my oldest likes to draw as much as she does, this gives me time to work on my sketches and work through ideas. I am constantly thinking about how I can give my full attention to being a husband, father and artist.

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 would have to say what sets my work apart from others is my carvings, imagery and now translucent porcelain. I got to where I am today by having a unique style, reaching out to other artists like Eric Stearns and having a chance encounter with Justin Rothshank at NCECA and Paul Blais interviews. I don’t think it is ever easy getting to where one is professionally, I am in a good place right now but not where I want to be, I will continue to explore, test and grind until I am. Some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way is that without failure there is no success, you can’t do it all on your own and being able to network and collaborate with other artists who have different styles will push you artistically and help you grow. One thing I would like the world to know is that I never stopped pushing myself to be the best artist that I can be, that my style is mine, my images might change but my style will always be present.

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?
That depends on the season, in the summer I would definitely take them on a hiking, camping, paddle boarding trip, get out of the city and explore the beauty of nature. Some great places to eat are the Pie pizza and Hires for hamburgers, I’m a pretty simple guy who enjoys spending time with my family, the outdoors and local restaurants. If the Jazz are playing that’s awesome a great time. If we were in southern Utah we would go one hikes through Zion National park.

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?
I definitely wouldn’t be where I am in my career without a couple artists who I admired and have become lucky enough to become friends with over the years, if not for them I wouldn’t be creating the work I am now. Eric Stearns, my fantasy football crew Justin Rothshank, Mark Arnold, Brett Kern, Mitchell Spain, Chris Gray and others Tom Budzak, Melissa Youngblouth and Paul Blais for having me on his podcast the Potterscast a couple times. These are some amazing artists and great friends. Eric Stearns and Justin Rothshank definitely helped the most at the beginning.

Website: Kyleguymonpottery.com

Instagram: @kyleguymonpottery

Facebook: Kyleguymonpottery

Image Credits
Shannon Guymon