Local artist Olivia Snyder has always been drawn to magical things, and now, she gets to produce them. An artist with a background in printmaking, design and conceptual modern art, Olivia has found her creative calling in making and selling magical-themed ceramics.
Olivia’s first love was drawing fantastic beings like unicorns and fairies, but during her time at University of North Texas’ art school she began drifting away from the art she grew up enjoying. Professors encouraged her to step away from fantasy, so she spent time experimenting with different art forms. “I kept trying to keep myself in that box,” she said, but she knew she was missing something.
Over time, she watched friends create stickers, glass and street art, and she saw how much they enjoyed those styles, even though some artistic communities look down on them. “It’s not considered real art and a lot of that is because they make money off of it, they like to sell it and they do it just purely for fun.”
With the influence of her friends, Olivia started breaking away from the mainstream box and found her own artistic voice. “I like bright colors; I like fairies; I like unicorns; so I feel like a lot of my art has gotten better because I’m doing something I love.” Now this love comes out in every fun, magical piece she makes.
As she continued to grow as an artist, Olivia got a job at a paint-your-own-pottery place, where she encountered a new love: ceramics. With the help of her boss, she bought her first kiln and started creating. Combining her artistic skills with her newfound love for ceramics, Olivia created The Faerie Hive, an online and pop-up store where customers can purchase whimsical items such as bowls scattered with rainbow-hued cubes, platters shaped like stacks of leaves, pendants that resemble cartoonish rocks, as well as unique offerings like her “faerie houses” – ceramic containers designed to look like small cottages.
Although she still appreciates conceptual and modern art, Olivia believes that community still excludes a large part of the real world: “The problem with a lot of academia is that it still looks down on the Internet, and you get so much crazy stuff just coming out from every single pore of the [web].” This is what makes Olivia’s art special. She applies her collegiate background in academic art and uses it to create fun, fantastical items for anyone to enjoy.
The Faerie Hive Ceramics >