The Potters Cast

Jill Leary is a practicing artist and NYS certified art teacher. Jill has a BFA in Fine Arts, concentration in Ceramics and a BA in Art Education from Syracuse University as well as a MS in Fine Arts. Jill worked for Brewster Central Schools for 11 years as an Art Teacher until she had her two daughters. Jill now owns and runs Railyard Arts Studio.

Brielle Rovito is a ceramicist and designer living and working in Burlington, Vermont. Brielle makes clean, sculptural forms that reference humanness, movement, and the body. Brielle work is best identified by oblong shapes and bulbous moments that hover between the functional/non-functional line.

Calou Calay is the collaborative work of engaged couple Lisa Tantillo and Zack Callaghan. After 5 years on the art circuit they have developed a series of thrown and altered work inspired by a monster lore ranging from the of Boo Hag of the Carolinas to the Yokai Oni of Japan. The artists capture these creatures in clay as a means of exploring the human psyche and honoring the traditions of storytelling.

Sean Scott is a ceramic artist who specializes in hand built functional pottery. Scott, originally from Dayton, Ohio, earned his BFA from Ohio University and his MFA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He currently lives in rural Battle Lake, Minnesota where he operates Pomme de Terre Pottery.

Marco Minetti is an apprentice potter to Kwak Kyungtae in Icheon, Korea, founder of Ceramic Masterclass intensive workshops.

Linda Engstrom has been an environmental activist since 12 yrs old. Linda went to College Art Studies and focused on illustration, prints, and photography. Linda is a freelance photographer and lived in Spain when she was 24-32 yrs old. Linda moved back to Sweden 2011. Linda has dealt with depression and PTSD. Ceramics gives peace of mind to Linda.

Tim Kowalczyk, Curt Hammerly, and Sean Roberts have all been on the show in the past with their own episodes. Today they have all teamed up to discuss the various approaches to selling pottery through galleries, online, or events. With their backgrounds and approaches, Tim, Curt, and Sean have their own track records that they draw from for this conversation.

Forrest Middelton is back on The Potters Cast! You may remember Forrest as the source of the amazing tool, The Studio Sander. You may also remember Forrest as an amazing artist that creates functional wares and his amazing tiles. Forrest has now written a book on tile making. If you are looking for a step-by-step guide, Forrest's book has it, but it is much more. It also dives into the history of tiles, design, and installation.

Roxanna Dourthe is a Caribbean born artist who has settled in Sabiñan, Spain. Not content with any one medium, Roxanna is involved in printmaking, experimenting pottery, tile making, and ceramic murals. Roxanna is a never-ending student.

Leigh Anne Thompson and her fiancé, Steven, are full-time potters traveling around the US selling their work at renaissance festivals as well as online. They have multiple studios and spend a good part of the year living on the road, making pots, and homeschooling their son Ocean. They put just as much creativity into growing their business as they do their pots, always trying new ideas to keep it fresh. They have a line of gourmet coffee all with ceramic inspired names and sell specialty underglaze transfers for other potters to use in their work. They take pride in "Living the dream" and are supporters of other makers finding their way to "artpreneurship" as well.

Nancy Gardner received a BFA in Ceramics from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia 1980 and MFA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1984. After that Nancy taught for 3 years in Dayton Ohio. When Nancy and her future husband decided to get married, she moved to Chicago where they started Nancy Gardner Ceramics, a line of highly decorative, somewhat functional ceramics. They raised 2 boys, rehabbed some buildings and sent a lot of pots out into the world. They lived happily ever after and remain there to this very day.

Sam Lopez is a potter living and working in San Diego, California. Sam teaches ceramics as an adjunct instructor at Riverside City College and makes pots in his home studio.

Avi Farber is a wood-fire ceramic artist and documentary photographer based in Taos, New Mexico, U.S.A. Avi studied philosophy at Bates College, ME, Digital Media Production at the Maine Media Workshops, and Spanish at the Universidad de Cuyo in Mendoza, Argentina. Working in clay, Avi creates installations, sculptures, and functional wares that explore natural processes. Avi's work is raw and refined, subtle and gestural. Drawn to the moments that break through the distractions of daily life, Avi documents the unbridled power of wildfires. A firsthand witness to climate change, Avi makes photographs and ceramics works that offer a bridge to the natural landscapes, a connection that has been lost by many as we distance ourselves from the ecosystems we rely on. Avi's photos and video reveal a strong sense of place as seen from a quite observer. Avi's ceramic work has been exhibited internationally, and his documentary photography of wildfires has been recognized by National Geographic magazine.

Clay has been in Lisa Neimeth's life since studying ceramics in college. Lisa is constantly taking note of colors in nature, food, magazines, newspapers, fashion, street art, and graffiti and she loves seeing colors put together unexpectedly. Lisa's plates can inspire and tell a story so they are evocative in the traditional "art" sense—but are completely functional. Lisa also loves the notion of high-end craft and taking time to carefully make everyday items. It is the way things used to be made—by hand and with great care and craft. That care of Lisa's encourages an appreciation of the everyday.

Romaine Begay (Ro) has been a full-time Potter for going on twenty plus years, where he incorporates the traditional Navajo rug weaving designs, traditional stories within his family as well as his experiences as a Native American in today's age into the ceramic pieces that he creates.

As an artist, potter and designer Lindsay Scypta is deeply interested in textile pattern, Victorian etiquette, architectural tracery, and the history of the table. Lindsay began her ceramics investigation in high school and continued into college, completing a BFA in Art & Design from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. For two remarkable summers Lindsay immersed herself in the artist community at Anderson Ranch Art Center as a summer intern, filling her ceramic toolbox with techniques and tools. Finally after two years as an artist-in-residence at Ashland University, Lindsay arrived at The Ohio State University where she completed her MFA in ceramic art. Lindsay was blessed with the opportunity to follow her thesis research to England, where she visited the Wedgwood Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Brighton Palace. Some influences over the past years have been the softness of tufted Victorian sitting room chairs, and the architectural motifs and quatrefoils of European Gothic cathedrals. Following graduate school Lindsay spent one year as an Artist-in-Resident at Clay Art Center in Port Chester, New York. Currently Lindsay is an adjunct ceramics professor at Owens Community College in Perrysburg, Ohio. Working strictly with porcelain clay, the work is thrown, trimmed, altered and decorated, then fired to cone six in an electric oxidation atmosphere. Lindsay ism still continuing to push her ideas and am excited to incorporate new research into her studio practice!

Shelsea is a ceramic sculptor from Binghamton, NY. She received her BFA in Ceramics from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2013, and she was a post baccalaureate student at the University of Alaska Anchorage from 2016 to 2018. Shelsea's work primarily investigates feminist and queer issues, as well as human/animal relationships and the parallels she perceives between the two. She is currently a long term resident artist at Studio 740 in Helena, MT.

Billy Ritter 77 is a ceramic artist from Cleveland, Ohio. A graduate of Kent State University (MFA), and Slippery Rock University (BFA). For the past five years he has taught and inspired many as a professor of art and ceramics at Cuyahoga Community College. At his Cleveland studio he offers one-on-one tutoring and workshops. Billy exhibits and sells his work at his studio as well as at many artisan markets throughout Northern Ohio. Atmospheric firing, community, and story telling through process, are the focus of his work. His limited editions of functional tablewares and vessels are utilized by chefs, home cooks, photo studios, and collectors both nationally and internationally.

Based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, UK, Anna Whitehouse's work has evolved from growing up in the region and spending time outdoors. From scrambling over rocks in the Yorkshire Dales to scouring the beach for fossils near Whitby, a love of landscape, natural forms and exploration can be seen echoed in Anna's work. Ultimately Anna aims to create beautiful and intriguing objects that awaken a childlike sense of wonder and appreciation of the natural world.

Joe Robinson is the co-owner and steward of the historic East Creek Anagama wood fired kiln. Nestled on 20 acres in Oregon's coastal mountains, East Creek is a community art studio and retreat. Joe will share news about the upcoming NW Wood Firing Conference in June 2020, which is being organized by the East Creek team.

Julia Kofman is a full time ceramic artist. Julia works in her home studio in Ramat Gan in Israel. Julia was born in Moscow, and in 2018 she moved to Israel with her husband and children. Julia is selling her works twice a week in Nachlat Binyamin Artists Fair of Tel Aviv, which is a famous street market of handmade, supported by municipality of Tel Aviv.

Lukas Easton is from Homer Alaska. Lukas recieved his BFA from the university of Alaska anchorage. Lukas is currently teaching at the Rochester institute of technology and is an independent designer for Jenggala in Bali Indonesia. In the summers Lukas works in Alaska commercial fishing and this fall will be attending Alfred university for graduate school.

Focusing on fragility and subtle strength, Rhonda Willers creates art with repetitive forms and markings reflecting on memories and nature through diverse materiality. Rhonda is the author of Terra Sigillata: Contemporary Techniques. Rhonda studied at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (BFA) and University of Nebraska-Lincoln (MFA). Rhonda is a studio artist, author, mother, and NCECA Board Steward located in Elk Mound, Wisconsin.

Originally from Hamburg, Germany, stencil artist Anja Bartels discovered pottery making while living in an intentional community in Virginia. Passion ignited, Anja returned home to study in the German Ceramics Guild, which honed her skills in a way much different from the typical experience in American art schools. With a strong focus on craftsmanship and technical skill, Guild training provided Anja with the groundwork for making a quality product paired with the practical experience of working with a master potter for three years. The apprentices must engage in all aspects of the business, including marketing, sales, accounting, and production. Anja's nautically themed porcelain employs several different techniques including slip trailing, sgraffito (a technique where underglaze is painted onto greenware and a design is carved back through, revealing the clay body underneath), poured and sprayed glazes, and a unique resist technique used in the making of her beautiful urchin bowls. These bowls are thrown and trimmed on the wheel, then several thousand small slip-trailed spikes are applied using a surgical bulb while she listens to audiobooks about shipwrecks. Anja's personal aesthetic and process are consistent and highly developed, reflecting her upbringing in a port town and her love of ships and the ocean. It is as if her pieces were born in the sea.

Sharrel Paul was born and raised in a suburb of Boston, MA, but moved to California in her mid-20s. Sharrel decided to move back home in 2013 when she was diagnosed with stage 3/4 metastatic melanoma. Sharrel discovered ceramics in 2014 when she decided to take a class at a local studio as a form of "art therapy" while she was undergoing treatment. Sharrel fell in love with making functional pieces very quickly and then started her journey on Instagram to be able to sell her work and crocheted items.

Benedicte and Jerome Leclere recently left Brooklyn to find a better life balance and spend more time making ceramics. Relocating upstate New York near Woodstock, they just launched their brand called l'Impatience. Both originally from France and always on the look out for new objects to create, the name refers to the eagerness and expectation behind every project (pronounced 'Lum-puh-see-unce''). Their style is mainly defined by their tableware collections, elegant and minimalistic, that people can simply appreciate every day. They also enjoy making unique pieces such as vases and bonsai pots, a jewelry collection or even limited clothing items.

We get a real treat in this interview! We head into the classroom of Jerm Wright and spend time with the teacher, and two of his students, Jack Butler and Gage Clisby. This is a great insight into the high school classroom and what the ceramic program is like. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed it.

Andrew Linderman is a studio potter and former high school chemistry teacher. Originally from the Twin Cities, Andrew currently living and working in Milwaukee, WI. Andrew makes functional pots to make the best moments in life better, to make the mundane moments more enjoyable, and to make the difficult moments more bearable. Andrew uses his background in chemistry to create glazes that are enhanced by the firing process in which he produces his pots. Recently, Andrew has also explored how the wood-firing process affects the surfaces of his pots. Andrew continually strives to create work in which the functionality of a piece is enhanced by its aesthetic and tactile qualities. Andrew graduated from Luther College (Decorah, IA) in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry. Andrew has learned his art and craft primarily from George Lowe during his undergraduate studies, S.C. Rolf post-graduation and wood firing from Simon Levin.. Linderman also teaches classes at Cream City Clay in Milwaukee, WI.

Matt Fiske's work explores the intersection of material, science, and ceramic firing process. Experimentation is an important aspect of Matt's studio practice, and focuses on manipulating common materials using uncommon firing conditions. Matt is inspired by the natural phenomena that occur in mineralogy and geology. In Matt's mind's eye, glaciers give way to icy celadon glazes, volcanoes ooze magma as glazes cascade down curves and roll off edges, crystals grow when conditions are conducive. Daily life, too, plays an important role in what Matt makes and why. The needs of the kitchen are for Matt, like many potters, a useful starting point for conceiving specific forms. Matt also draws from historical Asian ceramics as well as my experiences living in China and Korea. In the end, Matt strives to synthesize complex glazes and surfaces with objects that are as useful as they are beautiful.

Kukuli Velarde is a Peruvian artist based in the United States since 1987. She has received awards and grants such as the Guggenheim Fellowship, the Pollock Krasner Foundation grant, the United States Artists-Knight fellowship, the Pew fellowship in Visual Arts, the Anonymous is a Woman award, the Joan Mitchell Foundation grant, among others. In 2013 her project CORPUS got the Grand Prize at the Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennial in South Korea. Her exhibition credits include: KUKULI VELARDE: THE COMPLICIT EYE at Taller; KUKULI VELARDE at AMOCA; PLUNDER ME, BABY at the Yenggi Museum of Ceramics' Biennial of Taipei; CORPUS at the Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennial ; also KUKULI VELARDE: PLUNDER ME, BABY at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in, PATRIMONIO at Barry Friedman Gallery and PLUNDER ME, BABY at Garth Clark Gallery. She is married to Doug Herren, sculptor and they have a small daughter named Vida. They live in Philadelphia, PA. USA.

Logan Bishop was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Logan is an emerging artist residing in Louisville, Kentucky. He received his high school diploma from Saint Xavier High School in 2014. He received his BFA, emphasis on 3D in ceramics, from the University of Louisville in the spring of 2019. He has had work in displayed at the Cressman Center for Visual Arts for an annual student exhibition show, as well as the Louisville Hite Art Institute Gallery for his thesis exhibition. Logan's current work explores the nature of the surface of a utilitarian vessel limiting its utility but increasing its visual presence within the space.

Torbjørn Kvasbø lives and works in Venabygd, Norway. When Torbjørn was a child, his father said, "For God's sake, never get a regular job. With those words to encourage him, Torbjørn has pursued his own ambitions and intentions without hesitation. Clay has been the pursuit that Torbjørn has worked with instead of getting that "regular job". Even Torbjørn's work with clay has been far from "regular". He approaches clay punches, massage, kneading, rolling, throwing, pressing, stretching, and stamping all the while trying to get clay to become the vision that dances in Torbjørn's own mind.

Aysha Peltz's pottery explores imagined space, scale and the poetic properties of the ceramic medium. She is a studio potter and faculty at Bennington College in Vermont. Aysha and her husband, Todd Wahlstrom, also own and operate StudioPro Bats. Aysha has taught at a number of schools and art centers including: Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and the Kansas City Art Institute. Aysha's work is in many collections including Huntington Museum of Art, where she received the Walter Gropius Master Award. Aysha received her BFA and MFA from Alfred University.

Ryan W. Kelly has BFA in Ceramics from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from The Ohio State University. Ryan is currently an Assistant Professor of Ceramics and Foundations at Western Washington University. Previously Ryan lived in Philadelphia, where he was a resident artist at The Clay Studio.

Clay Leonard is a ceramics artist who currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Ceramics at the University of Houston – Clear Lake in Houston, Texas. His work has been featured in international and national exhibitions, publications, and in collections including the International Museum of Dinnerware Design in Michigan, Guldagergaard: International Ceramic Research Center in Denmark, and in the National Museum of Slovenia.

Juliette Davin is a wife, mother & potter from Houston, Texas. Juliette received her BFA from The University of Texas in 1990. Juliette took a 4 week intro to pottery class in 1991 and was hooked! Soon after that her husband's job took us on an incredible adventure to Bangkok, Borneo, Jakarta, Houston, Perth and now back to Houston. Juliette brought a wheel, kiln, and lots of books with her overseas and became a self-taught potter, soaking up knowledge everywhere she could. Juliette now works out of her home studio in Texas. Juliette enjoys every aspect of ceramics but she thinks she's happiest when she has a sharp tool in hand, carving patterns into clay!

Callahan Foose is a emerging ceramic artist living and working in northern Colorado. Callahan is the owner and full time potter at his company, CALLAHAN Ceramics. Callahan focuses most of his attention on creating detailed, one of a kind pieces with an emphasis on surface illustrations and decoration. While most of Callahan's work is wheel thrown, his style also somethings includes the use of 3D additions or alterations to his forms. Callahan does not adhere to one style for too long; as Callahan admits, his work is ever-changing to fit what he finds interesting or inspiring in the present time.

Kara Leigh Ford is back for her second appearance on The Potters Cast. Last time she talked about Knowing When to Quit the Day Job. This time, along with giving us an update on her life, she also dives into the idea of the importance of having a website as a potter. Some of the main takeaways that I heard Kara talks about was that having a website of your own helps you to find and define who Your customers are. On all other platforms, ultimately the customer belongs to that platform that you are using as the storefront. On your website they are your customers. Another critical point is that having a website helps to build trust. The world is now associating authenticity with having an online home, a website. Kara has much more to say on this and her insights are brilliant.

Emma Connolly is a potter who lives and works in Bedfordshire in the UK. Emma attended pottery classes at night school later in life before setting up her studio in her garden. Emma hand builds organic pieces leaving all the marks made during the process. Emma's designs are inspired by the seasons and each piece has a scene carved by hand or by pressing botanicals into the clay.

Emily Reason is a potter, artist, and Instructor in Professional Crafts and Ceramics at Haywood Community College in North Carolina. She holds an MFA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and BFA from West Virginia University. Emily's ceramics career has encompassed artist residencies, writing, teaching, and exhibitions.

Originally from Cedar City, Utah, Brandon Peña is a functional potter currently teaching high school ceramics classes at Box Elder High School in Brigham City, Utah. Brandon received a BFA degree from Utah State University in 2016. Brandon discovered his passion for clay after taking his first ceramics class in high school; he now finds joy being able to share that passion with his own students. Aside from Making pottery, Brandon is an avid skateboarder who puts just as much time and effort into increasing his abilities on the board as he does with making his pots.

Phil Lyons is an artist, musician, and teacher in Madison, Wisconsin. Phil has been teaching ceramics & sculpture for the last 17 years at his alma mater, Madison West High where he replaced the legendary Don Hunt. Phil says, "I run one of the biggest and best high school ceramics studios anywhere!" Phil has an amazing wife (Judy) and three grown, creative sons.

Alana Wilson is a ceramicist based in Sydney, Australia. She has been practicing ceramics for 7 years, since graduating from the National Art School with a BFA (Hons) in 2012. She exhibits regularly both nationally and internationally, most recently in Japan. While most works are essentially contemplative, the ode to traditional forms seeks to honor the nobility of the vessel and it's foremost function alongside an inherent respect of ceramics as a medium. Subtle surface destructions and experimental glazing and firing techniques are a major focus in the studio. Firing to 1260ºC allows the metamorphosis of surface degradation to be captured, appearing to exist in a state of motion and decay, even once cooled. These quiet meditations into the beauty of the decayed utilitarian attempt to captivate and impel the viewer beyond the physicality and functionality of the works.

NCECA 2019 was an amazing conference for clay people from around the world. I met people from Scotland, Russia, New Zealand, Norway, Canada, and of course, the United States. And everyone has one thing in common... Clay! This is the largest conference of its kind in the world. In this episode I interview random attendies of NCECA.

Reiko Mihagi is a native of Japan who got her ceramic education in Tokyo and experience as a studio potter in Mashiko, a renowned pottery town. After moving to the US Reiko experienced new materials and techniques and developed her signature sgraffito stoneware. Reiko work is infused with an appreciation of subtle beauty and the animistic view of the world from her native land. Reiko lives in Western North Carolina and, along with her pottery studio, runs a small market garden with her husband.

Since graduating from Auburn University with a BFA in 2007, Chad Nelson has been making and selling pottery. The main goal of Chad's work is to help people smile a little bit more every day through the use of his functional stoneware.

Trevor Foster has been working full time with ceramics for the past 10 years. Trevor has a BFA in Ceramics from the University of Washington were he studied under Akio Takamori and Doug Jeck. He operated a delft ceramics factory in Seattle for 2 years as an apprentice to Charles Kraftt. Trevor currently operates a ceramics studio in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Trevor's ceramics have been exhibited in 6 different countries over the past 2 years.

Rachel Love graduated from Western Washington University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mixed Media. Though Rachel's core focus while enrolled was printmaking, fibers, and photography, she prepared herself for a multitude of creative avenues by taking many other courses in almost every other branch of artistic expression the institution offered. As time has gone on and experiences and families have grown, Rachel currently devotes a majority of her time to her family and young daughters but has still been able to enrich and expand her business which can be found online under the name of High Yield Studio. Rachel is preparing for an exciting 2019, where she will continue to utilize her mixed media skills and expand on her true love and biggest interest which is creating ceramic pieces.

Lydia Johnson is a ceramic artist and designer who works full time in her studio in Manchester, Connecticut. Lydia's work has been exhibited across the country at galleries such as The Clay Studio, Northern Clay Center, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Lillstreet Gallery, and Artstream Nomadic Gallery. Lydia was the recipient of the 2017 Individual Artist Fellowship from the Tennessee Arts Commission. This spring, Lydia will be a demonstrating artist at the Florida Heat symposium and showing work in Tokyo, Japan, and at the Architectural Design Digest show in New York City.

Julia Smith is a potter based in the Highlands of Scotland. Julia has a home studio and produces illustrated ceramics and one off pots for exhibitions. Julia uses earthenware, decals, and studio made layered glazes. Julia has an online sale once a month and sell at events throughout the UK.