Meet Archana Iyer | 3d Artist & Polymer Clay Artist

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

Hi Archana, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
As far as I remember right from my childhood I loved art in various forms .But I didn’t excel in creating art from day one.It definitely needed improvement.I once remember my school teacher complaining to my mother that I have poor observational skills. This was because in one of my drawing assignments I had colored a cartoon human hair green and not black. At that time I felt bad and it seemed I lacked the skills . But looking back now I feel I was being creative in a way and maybe was thinking of hair highlights way ahead of its time! Well jokes apart, what I want to convey is that although I always enjoyed art but I was never confident enough to pursue it as a career. There was also a question of income stability in choosing a creative line.I also felt at that time I had limited knowledge about various creative industries.

Life happened and I finished my Engineering and started working as a developer in an MNC.The pay was definitely good but you have to be honest with yourself at the end of the day. I truly believe when they say if you love what you do it won’t feel as work and everyday will be a fun day! And for me there was no job satisfaction. So to keep my creative bug alive I continued my studies in 3d Animation as a part time along with my IT job and finally finished my degree here in States after marriage.So there’s my 3d career which I do as a freelance now.I feel my work in this industry is the best combination of my technological and creative knowledge.

Another aspect of my creative journey lies in my clay sculpting which I accidentally stumbled upon and is my claim to some Shoutout fame in the art world now! What started as a hobby has become a small business of sorts and Nothing matches the happiness I get when my clay creations bring joy in peoples lives.
I am glad I pursued my creative ambitions .So there’s my creative path in a nutshell from an Engineer to 3d Artist and Clay Artist.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Archana’s Creative Clay Creations was founded in 2013. I sell polymer clay creations such as food magnets, charms, jewelry and customized gifts. I specialize in creating realistic food miniatures. These are hand-sculpted tiny clay foods that look just like real food but will fit in the palm of your hands. They make unique one of a kind souvenirs and can be turned into magnets, charms, dollhouse foods and collectibles. When I started in 2o13, there were loads of miniature non-Indian dishes being created with clay so I decided to experiment with some Indian delicacies. And with practice, along with miniature pizza,tacos, pancakes and cakes, I was also able to create miniature Indian food replicas such as Dosa, Idli Wada, Curries and Biryanis etc. Currently, I am also into creating figurines, customized gifts like photo frames, mugs and hand-sculpted family portraits. I am glad I went back to creating art as it gives me immense joy and work satisfaction.

I have had my shares of ups and downs which I have managed so far. The year 2020 was a tough one for all of us but it also came as a blessing in disguise for me and my brand. To de stress I started claying a lot and started to post my art frequently. Thanks to Social Media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram etc people started noticing my art especially my miniature foods and considered that to be a one of a kind gifting idea.People weren’t able to head out for unique birthday/anniversary gifts so that’s where I as a creator was able to provide them with customized gift opportunities.2020 did give my clay career the push it needed in the right direction!
I am still learning and hope my art grows and adds more happiness in people’s lives in the future.

Lastly I would say it’s never too late to start and learn anything. Age is just a number.You need to start and act upon your dreams and surely things will fall in place.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would start at any of the IHOPs locations for breakfast or any meal really.Especially their brioches are so good.Lunch would probably depend on what kind of cuisine we would prefer.I love that DFW has so many awesome restaurants to choose from. If it’s Indian then it would have to be Little Elm’s Sawaii Indian Restaurant. It’s amazing and brings back those true flavors from India. For Mexican cuisine I love any of Salsa Tex Mex locations.Dinners would probably consist of food from Olive Garden,Fun Pizza Kitchen or maybe making dinners at our place.We would probably hang out at Little Elm Beach or watch fishes at the Dallas Aquarium or take a stroll at the White Rock Lake. For shopping It would have to be Allen Mall Factory outlets or StoneBriar Mall for their wide variety of options..

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to say a big Thank you to my family including my parents,in law’s and my spouse for always supporting and guiding me personally and professionally.

I always want to a give a big shoutout to my local North Texas Polymer Clay Guild (https://www.facebook.com/ntpcg/) for welcoming me and giving me the opportunity to learn so much from them.Thank you!

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/archcreations136/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ArchClayCreations

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCOZXBfdgqYtekhA0bw0n4ng

Other: Email id: archana.clay@gmail.com