You can look, you can touch, you can drool…BUT horror of horrors you can’t eat! Not unless you want a mouthfull of ALL THINGS CLAY that is! The talent house behind food that lasts forever (in clay form but delicious looking none the less) is 26 year old Aimee Rajan.
A little over a year into creating delightful clay miniatures (some the size of a one rupee coin!) Aimee and All things Clay have formed a long list of loyal customers (including yours truly) who keep coming back time and again for her one of a kind pieces.
Return gifts, table top miniatures, caricatures, photo replication, key chains, jewellery…there is no end to the variety of goodies All things Clay has on offer.
Born in The US but with her family origins in Cochin, Aimee has travelled the world quite a bit, eventually settling down in Bangalore. Her miniature masterpieces have found their way from Cochin and Bangalore to across India.
Though she has sculpted several noteworthy and intricate pieces, i found her food art to be utterly mind blowing!
I remember seeing a close up of a hot, buttery, flaky naan and luscious kadai chicken that looked so unbelievably real and mouth wateringly yum, i had to help myself to some naan and chicken for dinner!
The detailing in each piece is simply out of this world…not one crack, crumb or drop was missed out on! And just how realistic are they? I think the pictures speak volumes!
Despite Aimee’s hectic schedule, i was able to have a lovely chit chat with her. Fresh and honest, i loved her enthusiasm and her future plans for All things Clay.
LSF: Aimee, tell us a little bit more about yourself.
Aimee: Well, I have a background in Animation & Multimedia. I am passionate about animated movies and anything Disney related and on a good day, you will find me attempting (sometimes failing) DIYs!Due to my father’s profession, we moved around quite a bit and have stayed in the US, Kochi, Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), and following his demise, to Dubai and finally to good ol’ Bangalore.
LSF: When did the passion for miniature clay sculptures take root?
Aimee: Around two years ago, when we had just moved to Bangalore, I was casually browsing the internet and stumbled across an image of two ice cream cones – as tiny as a coin!
Being totally curious, I just HAD to find out what this was and how it was made – all that jazz.
So I sat for days researching the world of bake-able clay and got myself some materials just to give it a shot. It definitely started off as a small hobby, with a few basic tools, two blocks of clay and no oven (and some eyeshadows!). I initially experimented with miniature food. Eventually I tried making something different every day and I haven’t looked back since!
LSF: Tell us about the first piece ever piece you made
Aimee: This might end up being a tiny tragic story. The first piece I ever made was a teeny cupcake (safe to say it was pretty ugly) but I was very proud of it back then. I had just made it and had not cured it yet, which meant it was still in raw clay form.
My sister and I started taking pictures with it, and within a matter of seconds, things turned ugly – I dropped the cupcake and my sister unknowingly stepped on it and flattened it! So in other words, my first ever piece had a lifespan of 5 minutes.
LSF: You have a major interest in creating food based pieces. What sparked this?
Aimee: Other than the fact that I am a foodie, I have always been fascinated with anything miniature (it makes me feel like a giant)! There is something endearing to me about making our everyday food into miniature – I keep adding foods to make into my list almost every day!
LSF: Other than magnets, what are the different food based clay products you have branched into?
Aimee: Currently, I only focus on food based Magnets or small Showpieces, like a baking scene.
I also dabble a bit in food based accessories as well, like donut and cupcake rings, cookie earrings etc. Hoping to branch out soon on varieties of food based products!
LSF: What cuisine form do you enjoy making clay forms of the most? Why?
Aimee: At the moment I love attempting Indian cuisine, that may be mostly because of my roots but I totally love coming closer to home when it comes to my food pieces!
I’ve also noticed that Indian foods are more popular with my customer base.
Furthermore, I have not seen too much of our cuisine being made into miniature, so I wanted to put as many as I can out there!
LSF: What does the future hold for All Things Clay?
Aimee: All Things Clay turned a year old a couple of months ago, and I feel truly blessed to receive the amount of support I have till now. Being young, I am very pleased with the way All Things Clay has been progressing. My ultimate dream for the next couple of years is to open a studio that will help reach out to a wider customer base, and additionally hold super simple workshops as well!
LSF: Who has been your biggest support?
Aimee: My biggest support, without a doubt, would be my family. My mom loves everything I make (I think that’s a given), my sisters are my biggest critics yet fans at the same time, and my immediate family is the most encouraging bunch I have ever met.
Needless to say I have plenty of sweet supportive customers that inspire me to create and create everyday!
LSF: From Clay to finished product, could you outline the lifecycle of your creations?
Aimee: The process and time needed depends on each individual order.
Once the product, quote and date etc have been settled, then begins concept design, sculpting, baking, detailing, glazing, photography (which is then sent to the customer before the order is packed) and then finally packaging before the order is shipped out. Some intricate pieces could take up to 2 weeks, while the simplest piece could take up to 3 to 4 hours!
LSF: What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in your venture?
Aimee: Initially when I began All Things Clay, there was a lot of trial and error involved before I could present it to potential customers.
I faced challenges in the sourcing of materials, delivering the product due to its delicate nature & figuring out the creating process to ensure a durable product. The current challenge I face is being able to give my customers early ready dates as I make every piece on my own!
LSF: I’m sure your work has inspired several budding clay artists. What advice would you like to give them?
As cheesy as it sounds, my simple advice would be to just go for it. Having zero experience working with clay, that is exactly what I did. I saw something that fascinated me.
Despite thinking i never could succeed in making it, went for it anyway and that led to All Things Clay – something I genuinely enjoy doing every single day. No harm in trying, right?
To get your very own custom made clay miniature art from All Things Clay, contact Aimee at:
https://m.facebook.com/AllThingsClayAR/