Wednesday, March 4

Unexpected Guests: Diana Fayt.

This week we're staying close to home, and visiting the über talented ceramicist Diana Fayt, right here in San Francisco. I met Diana through our dear, mutual friend, Eszter Rabin, who had given me a piece of Diana's beautiful pottery as a gift. Later, I kept running into Diana at local art openings, and became a huge fan of her very prolific body of work - from incredible drawings, to her gorgeous ceramics. Diana has her own kiln and works out of a charming studio in the Bayview District. When I saw Diana's flickr photos of her amazing, cozy home, I just knew I needed to invite her to Unexpected Guests. Thank you so much for sharing, Diana. You can shop for Diana's ceramic pieces in her etsy shop, and for more about Diana and her work, visit her website, and her blog, One Black Bird.

What neighborhood do you live in?
I live in Duboce Triangle; A small neighborhood nestled between, The Castro District, The Lower Haight and Market Street. It is a lovely area, with tree lined streets, great views and is smack dab in the center of San Francisco.



What don't you leave home without?
A handkerchief.


What are your favorite local shops?
Rare Device, Alemany Farmers Market, and Ceramic Craft and Supply.



What's on your wish list?
A potters wheel and a camera.



What's your favorite bargain find or product?
Chinese paint brushes. I have been using them for my work forever and I have lots of them. I often use up to fifteen at a time.


What is your biggest interior design nightmare?
Closets. I can never seem to get mine in order and the one in my apartment was never meant to be one so it makes for difficulty in organizing it.


Who is your favorite artist? And why?
Gosh I love so many Artists but if I were to pick a favorite it would be Louise Bourgeois. She demystified art making for me, she is herself, and she has never stopped making work.

Where do you find inspiration?
Traveling, gardening, running, romance, meeting people, looking at photos, walking down the street (not in any particular order).


Who do you admire and why?
My mother. She has survived an immense amount of adversity in her life. She has done more work than anyone I know to right her wrongs and is a truly happy person. She is my hero.


Do you collect anything?
Well, I was just saying to my buddy Lisa Congdon, that the only reason I might need to move to a larger place is to house my growing collection of ceramics and pottery. I am also currently collecting red drawings and prints. I also collect pine cones and weird old tools. I used to collect kitty whiskers when I had cats.


What's your favorite feature in your home?
That I have a garden out my back door and that it is very quiet even though I live in a city.



If you could photograph anyone in the world, who might that be?
Eva Zeisel and Nelson Mandela.



Who would you like to sit down to drinks with?
All of you.



Do you have a guilty pleasure?
Hmmmm, I suppose it might be buying plants and flowers for my garden. That's not very good is it...I'll have to think about it some more. I am certain I have a guilty pleasure that is more juicy than buying plants. Ahhh, yes, driving my car long distances while listening to music. Not very kosher these days. I also like cookies, a lot!


What is your most treasured belonging?
A basket that was my grandmother's. She carried it with her when she escaped from Hungary in 1956.

What's souvenir did you bring back from your last trip?
A black,white and gray crochet blanket, a carved wooden bowl and a ceramic bowl with a luscious brown glaze.


If you could be any other nationality, which would it be?
I love being Hungarian...wouldn't want it any other way.

What's your greatest indulgence?
Maribelle Hot Chocolate. The stuff is the price of gold and I really can't afford it. Though when I am a little flush with dosh, I'll splash out on a tin. It is so delicious!


What is your idea of living hell?
Being stuck in a plane with a bunch of people cracking their gum and clipping their fingernails. (Both sounds make my skin crawl.)



29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness - I just LOVE the string of lights underneath the credena at night! What a faboo idea! I'm doing that!

Toshimi said...

I wish I had a place like that! Love the ceramic!

Katherine said...

wow--i have admired diana's work for quite awhile, and now i love her home, as well! so beautiful.

Anonymous said...

What a gorgeous home! I love all the ceramic installations everywhere - particularly the little colour chart in the last picture... I'd love to buy some of those little ceramic plaques (though is it just a reference colour chart?)

Bluebird Shop said...

She is amazing.

jenifer lake said...

yay diana! so fun to see even more of your space. great unexpected guest :)

Anonymous said...

Oh what a treat! Thank you so much!
Victoria: you need to set up a fan page on Facebook! You have so many loyal followers who would love to connect with you on Facebook! (:

sfgirlbybay said...

paola - i believe those are color samples (but not 100% sure).

vanessa - the blog is there on facebook, but i'm not sure it's considered a 'fan page' - it's tough to navigate all the pages on FB! ;)

Anonymous said...

I thought it must be, but little coloured plaques similar to the white ones in her Etsy shop would be so yummy...

diana fayt said...

thank you everyone for your kind comments!!

and thank you Victoria for being such an amazing spokesperson for all things beautiful and San Francisco. *hug*

paola, those little colored plaques are test tile samples for my ceramic work. people are always fascinated with them, especially when seen all together. : )

Anonymous said...

Love the lamp!! What gorgeous shining light detail when on!
Where is that from?

Anonymous said...

I put "sfgirlbybay" in FB search and nothing comes up??!!

sfgirlbybay said...

vanessa - try this link:

http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/sfgirlbybay/

Anonymous said...

I love the house tour. ohmygosh..I worked in/near your neighborhood my last three years of living in SF (until 2005)! I loved the little cafe near Laguna & Haight - a cozy little hideaway.

Clipping nails: I had a roommate who would clip her nails in the kitchen and I flipped out (not really, but I did let her know it creeped me out..she didn't get why).

Thanks for the house tour, Victoria, I loved it!!

Hello Lindello said...

wonderful place. I would never my house if it looked like that! so lovely

Anonymous said...

Baby you got style!

Cat King said...

Gorgeous!! You've made my day.

Jamie Welsh Watson said...

SUPER awesome post! Love the lights under the dresser. I'd love to have drinks with Diana too! (-:

et lille oejeblik - a little moment said...

i want to live in a house exactly like that. mazing style.

Unknown said...

what an amazing shop. great interview and wonderful photos!

smallbatch pets said...

what an amazing artist...what an amazing woman! i'm such a big fan her work is gorgeousness! i need the salt and pepper dishes:) thanks for the inside look of her beautiful living space.

-diana

Anonymous said...

any chance diana would share the name and brand of the velvety grey paint used in the shot of the hanging apothecary jar? i'm in love...

Whitney Smith said...

Diana is an amazing talent and I'm happy to have many of her pieces. Thank you for featuring her beautiful work!

pinkbathtub said...

I'm a huge fan of Diana's work. I love this post and the intimate peeks into her world.

Anonymous said...

Omg! Your photos are amazing and her work is exquisite!
How much fun are you having?!
You're my new idol :)

knack said...

this was so delightful!! I love the plates on the wall.... well, and everything else!! xoxo

Anonymous said...

yay for diana. i can vouch for the fact being one of her best buddies that she is as charming and vivacious and creative in her everyday life as she appears on the pages of the internet. she makes a mean roasted chicken stuffed with root vegetables too.

Anonymous said...

yes, yes, it's all great - but most importantly -where did she find that hanging light - I've been looking for one for 3 years now.

Liz Harrell said...

I just loved this post. What an amazing place to live, her little garden made me swoon!