For those of us in the pool and spa industry, it's easy to call to mind our favorite parts of the work: the time and effort it takes to build and install pools, the memories made in and around them, the glint of sunlight off of the gently pulsing water.
But that isn't the case for one Chicago-area artist — and that's exactly what makes her story so interesting.
Shistine, who goes professionally by her first name, is a full-time artist who dips her toes in a variety of mediums, from photography and ceramics to, more recently, polymer clay and miniatures.
The year was 2020, the online art community was digging into polymer clay, and Shistine decided to give it a try. After experimenting with checkerboard patterns, she began to see the tiny squares as something new — tiles.
"I saw little tiles, and the idea literally came from thinking, 'I just want to make tiny grouted tiles.' I thought they'd be adorable."
From there, the idea began to take shape. "[The swimming pool thing] came up pretty randomly, and that's what people responded to," Shistine says, referring to her online audience of more than 150,000 followers on Instagram alone. "I enjoyed making them and liked the technical aspect of it, of building the pieces.
"I'm not a swimmer or anything. A lot of people have asked, 'Oh, do you swim?' I mean, I enjoy pools and swimming, but not more than the average person!"
And so, the rest was history.
Shistine's miniature pools — or "mini trinket pools," as they're listed on her website — are exactly what they sound like. Measuring roughly 11 by 7.5 centimeters, the tiny pool-shaped dishes are designed to hold jewelry, keys, hair ties and other small everyday items. Each one is entirely handmade, making every pool unique.
"The first one I made was pretty funky," she laughs. "It was just the prototype, and I shared the whole process online at the time, so people got to see my progression. It was really rough in the beginning, but I've refined my skills and techniques since then, so my process is a lot more streamlined now."
Aside from following informal tutorials online and watching others work with polymer clay, Shistine drew on her background in ceramics to help guide her in the new medium, making the transition easier. She even began creating her own tools to streamline the process.
"A big part of my process is that I love to make my own tools," she says. Using a 3D printer, Shistine can make the exact tools she needs to make the creation process even more efficient. One of her main tools is what she calls a grid tool. Similar to a stamp, it presses into the polymer clay to create clean, evenly spaced lines for the tiles.
"It's really technical. I mean," she laughs, "I suppose you could probably compare it to building actual pools."
Thanks to her perfected process, Shistine estimates she can make roughly 100 trinket pools in three to four weeks.
Five years in, Shistine continues to see growing interest in both her trinket pools and her business as a whole. "When I first made [the mini trinket pools] in 2021, I knew the response was different than anything I'd made before," she recalls. "Over time, the fact that new people keep coming to me, the fact that the interest has lasted this long, is pretty encouraging."
Well, we asked, what's next? "Being limited in my art is the thing I reject the most," she says. "There's so much I haven't done yet. Ultimately, my goal is to make enough money to support a comfortable life for myself and stay self-employed. I love it so much, working for myself."
