The Potters Cast

Jackson Fyfe is a 17-year-old potter from Newton, Massachusetts. Jackson is a full-time high school student and spends most of his free time in the pottery studio. Jackson mainly focuses on decorative crystalline pottery but will occasionally branch out and experiment with different glazing techniques and functional forms as well.

Caitlin Andrews is a part-time, self-taught potter residing in Toronto, Canada. By day, she works for the Government of Ontario as a regional grant advisor serving towns and not-for-profit organizations in the Greater Toronto Area. Her pottery has evolved over the past 6 years as she continues to improve her throwing and glaze developme

Erin Ryan was born and raised in southern California. She has been working in clay for 10 years and received her BFA in Ceramics and BSED in Art Education from Northern Arizona University in 2015. Her work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and is also sold online. Erin is excited and inspired to be making work, as she grows her career in the ceramic arts. Currently, Erin is an MFA candidate at Indiana University.

Maya Rumsey is a ceramic artist based in Denver, CO. In art school Maya majored in glass but found herself pulled into the clay world. After graduating Maya did some wandering around and finally came back to making ceramics and opened her Etsy shop, Melissa Maya Pottery, in 2013 to sell her pot

Chris Casey is an artist from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He earned a BFA from the University of New Mexico with a concentration in ceramics. Since graduating, he has worked out of his home studio and held various ceramics related jobs such as studio assistant, glaze production manager, and is currently the studio manager at a community college. His work, abstract and colorful, is rooted in his love of drawing. Employing colored underglazes and slips on porcelaneous clay bodies, he carves intricate designs into the surfaces of his pots.

Mitch Lyons earned his masters degree in ceramics after completing his undergraduate degree in graphics. Since 1980 he has been a full-time artist, creating clay monoprints and ceramic vessels. His work can be found in the Brooklyn Museum of Art and Delaware Art Museum, as well as many private collections.

William Moon is a studio potter working in Potter County, Pennsylvania. He was introduced to ceramics in high school and fell in love with the wheel. After military service, he pursued his dream and started Imagine Peace Pottery in 2015, producing ware which combines beauty and function. Mainly self-taught, he looks for mentorship by his friend, Richard Lang, a longtime, functional potter. His goal is to eventually produce woodfired pottery, at the end of his dirt road in the country. When he is not busy being a "stay at home dad" for his children, he can be found in his studio, listening to music and turning pots.

After graduating from Minnesota State University Moorhead with a BFA in ceramics and a BS in art education, Miller was chosen for a two-year artist residency at Red Star Studios in Kansas City, Missouri, where she refined her ceramic practice. Her artwork has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and included in publications such as Ceramics Monthly. Since her return to North Dakota, she continues to embrace many opportunities to work within the art community teaching and coordinating classes for artists of all ages. She currently works as a studio potter from her home studio in Fargo, North Dakota.

Liana Agnew was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. She received her BFA in Ceramics and a BSE in Art Education from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 2015. She has exhibited nationally in galleries such as Red Star Studios, The Clay Studio of Philadelphia, Workhouse Gallery, Charlie Cummings Gallery, the Erie Art Museum, the Milwaukee Institute of Art, the Morean Center for Clay, Hudgens Art Center, and more. In summer of 2015, Agnew received a scholarship to attend a residency at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts. During the 2015-2016 year she completed a residency at Brockway Center for Arts and Technology. Liana is currently a full time resident artist at Morean Center for Clay in Saint Petersburg, FL for the 2016-2017 year.

Molly Sanyour picked up wheel throwing in her junior year in college and Molly hasn't stopped since. Molly's current job, teaching high school ceramics, allows her the opportunity to constantly explore new ways of creating with clay and she just loves it! It was until this job, and teaching beginners, that Molly really began to thrive as an artist.

Ulrika Weijmer is a potter situated in Varberg, in the west coast of Sweden. Her first contact with clay was in 1982. Since then she never stopped learning and exploring the possibilities of clay. At first she worked as a journalist but for the last 10 years she is a full time potter. She has a large studio in an old bulls stable in the country side. Ulrika works mostly with stoneware and porcelain but also raku and sawdust firings.

Isaac Scott is an Artist working and living in Seattle, WA. Isaac has been working with clay for over 9 years and his work is thrown on the potter's wheel and decorated with silkscreen images of himself and people/places that inspires him. The goal of Isaac's work is to inspire and uplift.

Lainey Fink Scott is a ceramicist and designer based on Martha's Vineyard, Massachussetts. She graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Graphic Design. There she enrolled in a ceramics class and fell in love with clay. After working with design firms in NYC and Boston, she teamed up with her husband/design partner, Ben Scott to form Bluerock Design. After moving to Martha's Vineyard Lainey's life shifted—she got back on the wheel and transformed her basement into a pottery workspace. While running Bluerock, her ceramics business has grown. This has allowed Lainey to hone her focus—creating structurally functional pieces that can be utilized every day. You can find Lainey most days arms deep in clay—throw, trim, glaze, repeat.

Hadley Sedgwick is the owner, maker, and designer behind Hadley Clay Studio. Since 2009 Hadley has been creating custom pet mugs from her studio on a little island off the coast of Georgia. Hadley has a passion for animals, fascinated by color, and is a sucker for good design.

Henrik Van Ryzin & Denise Van Ryzin make a variety of faux artifacts inspired by Polynesian Pop, adventure, exploration, and South Seas Mystery. Former Hollywood Artists (Henrik worked in Makeup FX, Denise in editing), they founded VanTiki Studio in 2001.

After taking an evening class in ceramics, Daisy Cooper's practice has become mainly self taught. Daisy has also trained herself in the fine arts. Growing up in Scotland influences Daisy's work while searching for a sense of wilderness through form and colour and allowing each piece to bare the marks of the making process.

The Oregon Potters Association has been a powerhouse her in the Pacific Northwest. With an entirely volunteer staff this organization has been able to put together the United States largest ceramic show called, Ceramic Showcase. The Ceramic Showcase has been an annual show that attracts collectors from all over the Northwest and beyond. Some of the nation's best potters and ceramic artists show and sell their work at this event. So I walked around the event and recorded a few conversations.

Paul Ide is a diverse and accomplished artist who has exhibited his work throughout the United States. He received his undergraduate degree in Art from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2002. A potter, illustrator and muralist, he creates works that respond to the ever-changing seasons of his life. Having been greatly influenced early in life by the Hip Hop culture, his work, regardless the medium used, reveals this influence allowing him to visually communicate his ideas in a way that is deeply and personally rooted. Paul works at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, North Dakota as the Center for Creativity Ceramic Studio Technician, and Social Outreach Coordinator.

After a couple years of taking a break, Brian Jones is at it again with his groundbreaking podcast, The Jonescast. Brian was the first "real" podcast on the subject of ceramics and helped to pave the way for others like Ben Carter of Tales of the Red Clay Rambler and myself. So I am really excited to see Brian's show relaunching. So we grabbed the mics and had a talk and got caught up.

I had the privilege of of having lunch with Michelle Gregor and Francoise LeClerc at the historic Huber's restaurant in downtown Portland, OR during NCECA 2017. It was such a delight spending time with them. The fun thing about this interview is that it took place during our lunch. So there is a lot of background noise and the sound of eating. But more importantly, there was a lot of deep discussion about the the life of artists.

Justin Reese is a studio potter working out of his hometown of Youngstown, OH. Justin lives with his wife Bailey, daughter Mika, his dog Kuma, and the family's three cats. Justin has a BFA from the Columbus College of Art and Design, and this is where Justin's journey with pottery began. After three years focusing on traditional oil paint techniques, Justin developed a love for clay during his final year. Justin works primarily with porcelain, and his favorite form is the lidded jar. Justin is devoted to help create a culture full of creativity in Youngstown, and he also wish to reach out and educate others through social media.

Robin Hopper passed away this past Thursday, April 6th, 2017. I had the privilege of interviewing him a little over a year ago. This is a replay of that episode without all the music and ads. The episode was titled, Die As An Individual. If you would like to read the Final Post written by his family, then please click HERE. If you would like to see the original show notes page for Robin Hopper, then click HERE.

Brian Giniewski is a Philadelphia-based potter who works primarily with boutiques and design shops across the US and beyond. Over the last year Brian has been working full-time in the studio and thinking of his practice as a small business which feeds Brian's artistic curiosity while meeting the demands of the market.

Karrita Renzelmann of Queen Bee Pottery fell in love with clay when her husband surprised her with a pottery wheel for her birthday in 2006. She began with introductory classes at the local college and couldn't get enough of the intrinsic feeling of delight, focus, and comfort that came with placing her hands in clay and creating. It was in the garden that the love of nature and creativity were planted in her heart. This love of unifying the beauty of nature with the creation of functional and decorative pottery is the inspiration for Queen Bee Pottery. The ongoing growth of her relationship with clay is nurtured with excitement and curiosity about how the journey will evolve and change in her lifetime. Karrita continues to be amazed, inspired, and grateful for the connections that her pottery creates with customers worldwide.

Steven Showalter is a Potter and High School Art Teacher in Minnesota. His current work is inspired by his wood-firing experiences. His desire to capture the unpredictability of wood-firing led him to work extensively with glaze development to create a rich palette of runny glazes that are inspired by his surroundings.

The star of today's episode is NCECA! Portland, OR was the host this year for the annual conference. Thousands of clay people invaded the city from all over the world. I personally met people that traveled from Norway, Australia, Canada, and Brazil. And of course, lots of people from the US. I walked around the conference and related areas and had conversations with lots of different people. The show notes for this episode will have pictures of the people's work that I talked to, and links to their Instagram pages. They will be displayed in the order in which they appear in the episode. I think there is only one person that didn't have any point of contact for me to track down.

As a full time Studio Potter since 2003, Jeff Rottman has developed a community studio with 32 members and launched a pottery tool company which is reaching across the globe. Jeff's entrance into being a studio potter started with a loss of a traditional job due to economic downturn. Jeff was energized by the cooking shows of the Food Network along with the melodies of Johnny Cash (Drive On).

Sam Parry is an art teacher for the Meridian School District, a ski instructor at Jackson Hole Ski resort, and a ceramist. Throwing on the wheel has been a passion of Sam's since he was in high school. Making art that is both functional and beautiful is Sam's ultimate goal. Knowing that someone uses Sam's art in their daily lives is what he loves about making pottery.

Howard Koerth is a nationally recognized ceramic artist currently residing in Oklahoma City, teaching at Rose State College. For the past 25 years his work has been included in invitational and juried exhibitions both national and internationally. In 2003 Mr. Koerth served as Artist in Residence at the Tainan National College of the Arts in Taiwan, an experience that influenced his current visual exploration.

The mic gets turned around in this special episode of The Potters Cast: Some member of The Potters Business Mastermind interview me, Paul Blais. This is in celebration of hitting episode 300 and in honor of such a great accomplishment I asked for some volunteers from the mastermind group to spend some time with me on Google Hangouts and do a special edition for The Potters Cast. It was a lot of fun spending this special time with them and I am really happy to be able to share it with you. Our interviewers are Elizabeth Borowsky, Carly Gibran, Kathleen Blohm, and Bebe Federman.

Luke Huling is a figurative sculptor from Harrisburg Pennsylvania. Luke graduated from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in May of 2014 and received his BFA in ceramics and a minor in metalsmithing. For two years following undergrad Luke was the long term resident at The LUX Center for the Arts in Lincoln Nebraska, teaching throwing, hand building, and introductory metals classes. Currently Luke is attending Indiana University in their MFA program located in Bloomington, Indiana. He continues to use clay and metal and combines them together in mixed media sculptures.

Paul Tholl is a Wyoming-raised, Western Colorado-living potter, and Art educator. Paul received concurrent BA/BS from the University of a Wyoming in 2011 and has been living in Grand Junction, CO for the majority of the time since. Paul is married and has a 10 month old son.

Eunbi Cho is a traditionalist with a contemporary approach. Eunbi's (pronounced Un-Be) work celebrates the spirited and special space that exists between structure and fluidity, precision, and poetry. Throughout her work, Eunbi reflects upon user/object interaction with unique and playful intention. Eunbi spent her early childhood in Korea before moving with her family to Waterloo,Belgium. In her new surroundings Eunbi discovered a renewed sense of freedom and the importance of creativity and individuality. After studying Fiber art in Korea, Eunbi moved to Los Angeles in 2011. Eunbi is committed to creating unexpected and thoughtfully designed objects that embody her life's experie

Shay Church is based in Kalamazoo, Mi. Shay is co-owner of Grayling Ceramics with his wife, Maura Church. For the past 18 years Shay has also created wet-clay and wood installations of whales, elephants, wolves, and trees left to decay in abandoned buildings, fields, parking lots, and galleries across North America.

After starting pottery as a couple's hobby, Stephanie Yap and Matthew Vrettas started Ghost Wares together in their tiny home studio. After leaving his job in interior design, Matthew took over the making and day to day operations, whilst Stephanie is involved on a broader level, balancing this with her career as a freelance graphic designer.

Joan Bruneau is a professional Studio Potter and Regular Part-Time Ceramics Faculty at NSCAD University. She maintains her studio/showroom, Nova Terra Cotta in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Joan was born in 1963 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her love of travel and food sparked her desire to become a potter after discovering the authentic cuisines and pottery traditions of Europe on a trip in 1983-84. She went on to earn her BFA from NSCAD University in 1988, and MFA from the University of Minnesota in 1993. Bruneaus work is exhibited throughout North America and is in recognized private and public collections. Bruneaus work is also published in current Ceramics publications including the feature article Idyllic Place; The Work Of Joan Bruneau by Andrea Marquis in Ceramics Monthly magazine ( April 2014) the ebook, American iPottery by Kevin Hluch , 2014 and Mastering The Potter's Wheel by Ben Carter ( 2016)

Lesley McInally completed her Bachelor of Design Honours Degree in Ceramics and Printmaking at Dundee University, Scotland. For the first 8 years of her career she worked as a full time professional ceramic artist producing both functional and decorative ceramics for galleries throughout the UK. Additionally she taught ceramics in various educational environments both to adults and children. In 2004 she immigrated to Canada where she continued her studio practice in Cookstown, Ontario. Since arriving in Canada Lesley developed her unique style of stretched slab hand built paperclay sculptures and vessels which contain a rich depth of surface texture. Incorporating her printmaking skills she has also developed a highly tactile surface using coloured porcelain slips, underglazes and a mono print technique. She continues to be invited to demonstrate her intriguing working methods to numerous guilds, educational establishments and arts associations throughout Ontario. Lesley has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards and grants and exhibits her work nationally and internationally.

Daniel Gillberg is a Swedish maker situated in the Oslo area in Norway. By making playful functional pots for every day use, he seeks to promote the values and the use of hand made. His work mainly involve dark firing earthenware and slip, decorated with various decals, paper resists and luster.

Jon Almeda is a miniature ceramic artist located in Tacoma, Washington. Raised in Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest Jon finds inspiration in the ever changing cloud formations in the sky and the movement of the tides. Jon's practice is a response to the colors, energies, textures and composition of his life. Years ago he came across a book called "Creating Ceramic Miniatures" that dramatically changed his outlook and approach. He went the opposite direction and started to see how small he could throw. He discovered that working small was much harder than he imagined. After 15 years of creating miniatures he is still challenging himself to improve and to try new things with each kiln load. Almeda's pieces are so impressive because without any scale or context they look exactly like their larger counterpart in detail and proportion.

In 2005 Joshua Flicker completed a BFA in Art Education with an emphasis in ceramics. That same year he moved to Salt Lake City, got married, and accepted a teaching job at Park City High School. He has been enjoying the mountains, sharing his art, and honing his craft ever since.

Born and raised in Humble, Texas, Christopher Melia moved to Corpus Christi in 2001 to extend his education at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. Shortly after engaging in ceramic courses offered at the university, he became an apprentice to a local studio potter, William Wilhelmi. In 2006, he received his BFA in Ceramics. He continued to work for Wilhelmi and take additional classes until moving to Denton, Texas for graduate school at the University of North Texas. Chris finished his MFA in 2011. He currently lives in Whitesboro TX with his wife and two sons, teaches at Little Elm High School, and makes work in his home studio.

Noa Weintraub is an artist, and ceramicist based in London, UK. After completing her fine art degree at Chelsea College of Art, Noa launched her handbag label, selling one-off hand-painted handbags to exclusive boutiques and celebrity clients on both sides of the Atlantic. Simultaneously, she also began fashion styling, working closely with iconic art director Judy Blame. In 2007 she then redirected her career back to her fine art roots and became a full time artist and illustrator. Still very much inspired by fashion and her love of vintage, fabrics, textures and patterns, these continue to provide a constant reference point. In 2011 she enrolled onto a ceramics evening class and has not looked back since.

Kirstin Davidson, Hilde Lambrechts and Kim Lulashnyk are three potters from the Ottawa Guild of Potters who have put together a community-based ceramic art installation of over 9000 roses, fleurs de lis and feathers as part of Canada's 150th year celebrations in 2017. Populace will be set in a park at the Canadian Museum of Nature and will be on display from June 17-September 4, 2017. Community studios, individual potters, high school students, seniors and members of the public will participate in guided making-sessions throughout the year. Kirstin, Kim and Hilde are honored to bring their love of clay into the community on behalf of the Ottawa Guild of Potters and share in the making of a significant public art inst

Sharon Greenwood is a full time potter living in Portland, Oregon. She grew up outside of New Orleans and received her BFA from the University of Southern Mississippi in graphic design, with a minor in sculpture. This is where she first learned to love clay. After 15 years in advertising, she took a sabbatical and enrolled in a local clay class. She loved it so much, she decided to retire and start her second career as a potter. She works out of her home studio, creating wheelthrown, handcarved home decor and tableware that are inspired by the Oregon coast and her garden.

San Diego potter, Merle Lambeth, is known for her delicately folded thin slabs of clay,use of textures and green glazes. Each piece shows her attention to detail and finishing. Merle's training is mainly through attending workshops. She splits her time between creating new work and managing Clay Artists of San Diego, a non-profit clay organization.

Jen Fontanella is a ceramist in Overland Park, Kansas. She makes brightly colored contemporary pieces for the home and garden. Everything is made in small batches honoring the art of handmade. She's a California native, a mother to a two-year-old, an ethnic food junkie and a craft beer enthusiast

Mike Flower is a potter and teacher in Los Angeles, CA. Primarily an educator, his days are largely spent running a thriving high school studio that sees 200 students daily. He also serves as an Adjunct Faculty member at Cal State University, Dominguez Hills. His ceramic work is mostly utilitarian.

Amy Hamley is a ceramicist living and working in Berkeley, California. Her work draws inspiration from her travels and daily hikes around the Bay Area. She lives with her husband, Ryan, and her shih tzu, Perro.

Sage Cortez is the hands of Hand & Fire Ceramics. Sage is a designer, ceramist, and craftswoman focusing on perfecting qualities of hand within functional tableware. Sage's work is intended to bring life to any table it is brought to--to be a refresher in a world of casted, symmetrical, and manufactured goods. Currently Sage is finishing up her BFA as a sculpture major in her hometown of Portland, Oregon. It is important to Sage that all her materials are locally sourced, food safe, and well made to provide you with the best quality to her ability. Hand & Fire is Sage's inspiration towards being creative every day; whether it be clay or flour, Sage always has her hands in something.

Laurie Goldstein is a potter who is in love with ceramics, with function, with beauty. Laurie is a mother to two great kids and a wife to a great guy named Guy... Laurie was born in NYC and when she was 8 her family moved to Israel where Laurie grew up, went to school, served her 2 year compulsory army service, and got her BFA in set and costume for theatre. Laurie then returned to the states for studies at NYU and then Alfred University. Then back to Israel where Laurie started her studio 22 years ago and has been working away happily since.