Angel Oloshove

     Angel Oloshove is a ceramicist and toy designer. She's an onion, this lady! The more you chat, the more surprising tidbits find their way to the surface. Layer one: bright, fun tchotchkes, quick with a smile, love of color. Layer two: taught herself to speak fluent Japanese and travels there bi-annually for work, which just so happens to be designing the infamous Blythe dolls! Layer three: a mysterious cat that lives with her but she's kind of longing for a dog, serious warmth, a desire to explore creativity in all ways possible. 

After spending an unusually warm January morning with Oloshove in her sunny Houston apartment chatting about a shared love of Dolly Parton -- I think all true Texas girls should love her & Angel agreed -- she eagerly whipped out a book showcasing her work with Blythe, the first doll she designed for them was based on, you guessed it ... Dolly Parton! Funny side note: when doing a little Dolly googling later that evening I found out it just so happened to be the Smokey Mountain Songbird's birthday! Serendipitous day for to Dolly lovers to chat.

We sipped sparkling water out of hand made mugs (of course) and mused on the advantages artist have when it comes to building an art collection (trades are the name of the game), the ironies between her professional career designing slick toys and her creative career designing tactile ceramics and her Egyptian goddess of choice - Isis, naturally. As if that weren't enough, Angel took me on a tour of her gorgeous studio tucked in the Glassell School nestled right in the heart of Houston's museum district. Being a stones throw from the MFAH, CAMH, the Cy Twombly Gallery & the Menil (my favorite museum ... ever) act as a constant stream of inspiration - lucky gal! I can't wait to spend more time with this babe and peel back a few more layers. 

My personal style is ... American casual with minimal design details.

My style icons are... Anna Karina, Yu Aoi, and Kate Bush.

I’m inspired by... my friends who run the gambit of visual artists, musicians, writers, mothers and all around amazing people. Seeing the folks in my life do well and get stoked on whatever they are doing is most inspirational to me.

If I lived in another era I’d choose... the golden age of the Black Mountain College. I’d love to be immersed in that wild and avant-garde environment.

The last book I read was... The History of Sexuality by Michel Foucault. 

Right now I’m obsessed with... researching how to build cheap kilns and hunting down archaic ceramic glaze recipes.

Lately I’ve been listening to... Violent Femmes, Parquet Courts, Total Control, Young Mammals, Beyonce’s new album, and the Saint Heron compilation from Saint Records.

When I’m at home I love to... have Angel time, wherein I listen to records in my kimono and navel gaze with my notebooks. Daydreaming is essential for me to get really loose and reconnect with myself.

If I were in a movie I’d be in... Crybaby. I’d die to be in the drape girl gang. Leather jackets, teased hair and thick black eyeliner all the way!!

When I walk up to the bar I order... some kind of Texas microbrew IPA or a nice old fashioned with Bulleit rye.

My go-to beauty product is... Boscia’s Tsubaki beauty oil. It’s the best moisturizer for hot and humid Houston summers and it smells lovely.

I’m crushing on... cute boys, Chanel Couture Spring 2014 glitter eyeliner, Ron Nagel’s new sculptures, and fresh feminist dialogue.

The last time I surprised myself I... operated from a place of sincere fearlessness.

On a sunny afternoon I love to... get my serape blanket, iced coffee and soak in the rays at the Menil park, this is probably one of the only times that I nap.

When I’ve got money to burn I head to... Vinyl Edge in the Heights and treat myself to all the records I want.

Five things I can’t live without are... Stila eyeliner, box hair dye, knock-off sunglasses, Minnetonka moccasins and my best friends (Anne and Erin).

I feel most myself when... I am in love.