The Potters Cast

Lina Alvarez was drawn to art at an early age. Before moving to Los Angeles in 2006, Lina graduated from the University of Georgia, where she taught art to children at Lyndon House Arts Center and earned her BA in Studio Art with a concentration in Ceramics. Originally from Medellin, Colombia, Lina's art is a hybrid of cultures and embodies many qualities—some pieces may be precise and simple, while others are loose and organically shaped. Lina currently focuses on chic and functional utilitarian pottery, which is available inside Good Dirt LA's artist shop and on Etsy. Lina believes in cultivating creativity and encourages her students to leave their expectations behind. "The creating and making processes are truly therapeutic and enjoyable for me," she says. "But nothing brings me more joy than knowing that others actually use my work as part of their daily routines. It's that tea they have before bedtime, or the coffee that helps them start the day. It's like I'm passing along a little bit of my love to them, since I feel that each of my pieces were created with the most loving of intentions."

Elizabeth b. Borowsky is a ceramic artist living and working in the beautiful countryside of South Carolina. She received a BFA from Clemson University with an emphasis in sculpture. She launched Elizabeth b. Ceramics in 2014. Her work is elegant, functional, and often carved or pierced with clean, graceful lines.

Tim Kowalczyk did his undergrad at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and majored in Art Education and Ceramics, with a minor Art History. Tim took a year off before attending Illinois State University for Tim's MFA in Ceramics. In 2011 Tim graduated and moved to a small town 30 minutes north of Normal called Minonk, which is where Tim lives and works.

Helen Levi grew up in the East Village of New York City. Helen's first encounter with clay was as a young child in an after school event. For college she studied photography which became a great compliment to her work as a ceramicist. As an adult she did a number of part-times jobs to make a living as an artist living in New York and teaching pottery classes was one of them. Helen set up her own studio where she makes beautiful stoneware ceramics in Brooklyn.

Amy Fields was born and grew up in Buffalo, NY. Amy was introduced to clay when she was about 8 years old. She received her BFA from the NYSCC@Alfred University with a concentration in ceramics. Lured by the landscape, Amy eventually moved out to Portland, Oregon. Amy feels very lucky to have landed at Stark Street Studios among artists and potters that she admires.

Cindy Gibson is a wood fire/soda fire potter who hails from Ruston, Louisiana. She earned a BFA from Louisiana Tech University. After graduating she spent two years in Goshen, IN interning with several area potters. She recently moved to Brevard, NC to further her ceramic career. Her extraterrestrial body of work combines functional and sculptural elements into a short story about the effects we have in this universe. In addition, she creates exotic and domestic wooden earrings that you can use for pottery tools.

Born and raised in Columbus, GA Mollie took her first ceramics class in High School and from then on has had a passion for turning clay into functional items. While attending Auburn University she began to sell her pottery and then started Mollie Jenkins Pottery. Upon graduating with a BFA from Auburn in May 15' Jenkins moved back to Columbus to focus on her business and in February she made the move to Nashville, TN where she has since been growing her business and pursuing pottery as a career.

Tallie Maughan is the Founder of Turning Earth, the open-access ceramics studio in Hoxton East London. Once a hobby-maker herself, now Tallie's passion is to help new makers make their first steps in the craft - for business or for pleasure - and to support those that are ready to launch themselves into a full-time making career.

Keaton Skyles is a 29 year old ceramic artist and has been working with clay for 15 years. In 2010 Keaton earned his BA in psychology at Boise State University. In 2011 Keaton set up his own ceramic studio space. Keaton's work ranges from raku and saggar to large stoneware forms and functional porcelain.

Kevin Kowalski has always been one to work with his hands since an early age. He had a fascination with the process of how things worked and how things were made and not just the finished product. Kevin started with pottery in his Junior year of High school and fell in love with the clay process. Kevin was finally able to work from start to finish with clay and could learn along the way. Kevin went on to received a BFA in Ceramics and BA in Art education from California State University, Fullerton. He took a year off after Graduation to travel and taught English in Taiwan where he met a local potter and studied with him for 10 weeks. During this time Kevin learned new throwing techniques and began a love for the moon vase form and developed a vast taste of tea. After returning to California Kevin got his teaching credential and landed an art position in the same district he was a student. Two years later Kevin transferred to Esperanza High School where he is currently teaching 5 periods of Ceramics. Kevin works out of his home studio where he has recently been using Periscope to connect with the pottery community. Kevin also uses Instagram and Facebook to help market his artwork and has an Etsy shop where he sells his pottery. Michael Millam was born and raised in Southern, California and graduated high school in 1999. Michael attended California State University Fullerton, earning a BA in art education in 2006. He then spent his first 6 years teaching traditional black and white and digital photography at Kennedy High School. In 2012 Michael moved to Western High School to teach ceramics. In June of 2015 Michael completed a Masters in Art Education from Boston University. Michael was a presenter at NAEA convention and spoke on the subject of high school students using ceramics to communicate identity. Michael also participated on the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) and the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson and served on the California Teaching Performance Assessment (CalTPA) Art Content Expert Panel.

Joy Tanner has been a studio potter in Bakersville, NC for 12 years. She received a BFA in Ceramics at UT Chattanooga, was a Resident Artist at the Odyssey Center for the Ceramic Arts, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts and the EnergyXChange.

Steven Young Lee has been the resident artist director of the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana since 2006. His work has been collected by the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Museum, the Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, Korea, as well as many private collections.Steve received his BFA and MFA in Ceramics from Alfred University. Originally from Chicago, he lives in Helena with his wife, Lisa and their son and daughter Gavin and Florence.

Mitchell Spain received his BFA and MFA in ceramics at The University of Iowa and the University of Kansas respectively. He has exhibited nationally and internationally receiving awards for his trompe l'oeil ceramic works. He currently resides near Des Moines, Iowa working as a full-time studio artist.

Ashleigh Christelis is a Full time potter living in Johannesburg, South Africa. Ashleigh runs her own teaching studio at a community center and has been working with clay for nearly 20 years! Ashleigh did full time apprenticeship with Kim Sacks that lasted for 4 years. Since then Ashleigh has been running studios on and off. She worked as a woodwork teacher at The Waldorf school in Johannesburg for nearly 6 years during which time clay took a bit of a backseat. Ashleigh works mainly in high fired oxidation 1260c/cone 9 porcelain and stoneware.

Amanda Dobbratz graduated from The Glasgow School of Art in Glasgow, UK, with a Masters in Research in Creative Practice. Amanda makes functional, complex ceramics, which marry the whimsical with the pragmatic, often conveying a sense of play and humor. Amanda is a 2015 Anonymous Potter Studio Fellow and currently works as Northern Clay Center's Marketing and Communications Associate.

Lara Zilibowitz is a yoga teacher and ceramicist living in Sydney, Australia with a longstanding passion for creative expression through the body. She always been fascinated by the Hindu and Buddhist symbolism of the 'mandala', a representation of the microcosm and the macrocosm of the universe. All her ceramic pieces are thrown on the wheel, painted with underglaze and carved into using sgraffito method. The process of carving each mandala is spontaneous, she sits in front of the clay canvas with no plan, giving her hand free reign. Lara approaches working with the clay as a meditation practice.

Samuel Johnson was born on the Eastern prairie of the Red River Valley in 1973. After studying painting and ceramics at the University of Minnesota at Morris, he served a three and half year apprenticeship in pottery under Richard Bresnahan. In 2000, he was invited as a guest of Denmark's Design School to study Scandinavian Ceramic design in Copenhagen; while also working at the International Ceramic Center in Skaelskor and as an assistant in private porcelain studios. After working for a short period in a studio in New York, he traveled to Japan as a studio guest of Koie Ryoji. In 2005, Johnson earned graduate degrees in fine art from the University of Iowa. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Artaxis.org, and international artist organization, and is an Associate Professor of Art at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University in Central Minnesota.

Bryan Hopkins went to college to study mathematics, and later earned an MFA in Ceramics from SUNY New Paltz. He lives in Buffalo, NY. Bryan's personal research in ceramics centers on the vessel- both utilitarian and sculptural. He teaches at Niagara County Community College in Sanborn, NY.

Eric Stearns earned his BA from Doane College and MFA from Fort Hays State University in Kansas, returning to Doane to teach after graduation. When not teaching, Eric creates sculptural pierced raku-fired art with a eye toward precision while emphasizing his mathematical patterns.

Anne Pryde is a professional ceramic artist working from her home-based studio in Hatchet Lake Nova Scotia. A graduate of NSCAD University, Anne has been working as a professional in clay since 2006. Her recent work can be found in a variety of galleries and gift shops in Atlantic Canada. Anne's work is influenced by wild medicinal plants, agricultural practices and a strong tradition of pottery in Nova Scotia.

Garrett DeLooze is a wood fire potter from Annapolis, Maryland, currently working in Gishen, Indiana. Garrett received his BFA from Frostburg State University in 2012 and stayed an extra year to be the ceramic lab tech/teaching assistant. The following year Garrett was a production potter for a center helping adults with developmental disabilities gain employment through a day program. At the beginning of 2015, Garrett moved to Goshen, Indiana to be Justin Rothshank's assistant.

Matthew Schiemann is a second-generation potter that grew up watching and helping his dad create ceramic works. This early exposure taught Matt to appreciate the handmade object and eventually to choose the field of ceramics for himself. He received his Bachelors of Arts in Sculpture and Ceramics from Ashland University in 2005 and his Masters of Fine Arts in Ceramics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2009. While in graduate school, Matt worked as Harris Deller's personal assistant and as a Teaching Assistant for the wheel throwing and industrial design courses. During this time, he began building his own body of work focused on functional pottery fired in atmospheric kilns. After graduating from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Matt was accepted as an artist in residence at the St. Petersburg Clay Company. Shortly after being accepted as A.I.R. Matt became an adjunct professor at Eckerd College for PEL program's ceramics department. In October of 2010, Matt became co-owner/director of the St. Petersburg Clay Company.

Sarah Thompson works with porcelain and throws it mostly on her potters wheel. Sarah hand paints botanical motifs on the surface of each pot, and then glazes them in her own colors. Sarah's work is functional ceramics.

Robert Piepenburg was born in Detroit, MI and received his Bachelor's, Master's degree and MFA degree from Eastern Michigan University. He is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, three Michigan Council for the Arts Creative Artists Grants and an Outstanding Teacher of the Year award from Oakland Community College. His works appear in public and private collections from the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Ian F. Thomas is an installation artist living in Slippery Rock, PA and works at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA. Ian holds a BFA from Slippery Rock University and an MFA from Texas Tech University. Ian received additional training at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, Slovakia, and The Pottery Workshop in Jingdezhen, China.

Risa Nisimori has been working and teaching ceramics at her studio, N.Y. Togei Kyoshitsu in New York City. Risa studied proper wheel throwing in Japan, but Risa's preferred method is Nerikomi, using different mixed clays and creating new and interesting patterns.

Lauren Gallaspy received her BFA in ceramics at the University of Georgia in 2005 and her MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2007. From 2009 to 2012, Gallaspy served as co-director and owner of Trace Gallery in Athens, Georgia alongside artist, educator, and collector Andy Nasisse. In 2013, she was recognized by the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts as an Emerging Artist in the field. Additionally, she was one of 25 artists awarded the prestigious Joan Mitchell Painters & Sculptors Grant for 2012. Her work has been featured in Ceramics:Art & Perception, Ceramics Monthly, Ceramics Now, Clay Times, Lark Book's The Best of 500 Ceramics and 500 Cups, Rocky Mountain Artists, and the recently published Glaze: The Ultimate Ceramic Artist's Guide to Glaze and Color. Gallaspy has exhibited nationally and internationally in over 60 group and solo exhibitions since 2007, including in the highly publicized "State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now" at Crystal Bridges Museum in Arkansas. Lauren was an Assistant Professor of Fine Arts from 2012 to 2015 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. She is currently a long term resident at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Montana.

Herrick Smith is a current MFA candidate at Fort Hays State University. Smith enjoys wood and soda firing as well as casting various metals. His ceramic work focuses on vessels while the cast work is abstracted and organic. After graduation Smith hopes to teach college ceramics and/or sculpture.

Nikki Mizak is a potter in North Carolina who makes functional pottery featuring hand painted animals and slip trailed texture. Nikki finds inspiration in nature so Nikki features chicken in much of her work. She has a real talent at capturing the individual chicken's personalities on her pots.

Emily Free Wilson is a ceramic artist and entrepreneur in Helena, Montana. She runs her pottery business Free Ceramics and the Studio Art Center, with her husband Matt Wilson. In 2014, Emily and Matt purchased an old funeral home and have converted into an art center. Emily recently retired from 10 years as the gallery director at the Archie Bray Foundation.

Rachel Donner is a full time potter living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She grew surrounded by art and history in the small town of Taos, NM. Rachel studied ceramics at the University of Northern Colorado and went on to do a few residencies and assistantships before settling back in New Mexico, for the time being.

Neil Celani makes functional pottery and does most of his firing in a soda kiln that Neil built. Neil is influenced by the psychedelia found in nature. He loves music and dancing and doesn't let algorithms choose what he listens to. Oh, and fire rules.

Jessica Putnam-Phillips is a ceramic artist, USAF Veteran, illustrator and activist. She received her MFA from the Art Institute of Boston and her BA from UNC-Wilmington. She was a resident artist at SCAC and recently attended residencies at Haystack and AIR Vallauris. She currently teaches ceramics at CCV and VAE.

Clary Illian is a true treasure for the clay community around the world. Her book, A Potter's Workbook, has been played an important role in the development of potters' skill and understanding of clay and making. An award winning documentay, A Year in the Life, focused on her work and principles. PBS also featured her work in Craft in America. Having studied as an apprentice in Bernard Leach's St. Ives Studio, Clary eventually made her way back to the United States and set up a studio in Ely, Iowa. For over half a century Clay has worked in earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain with the idea of making pottery for ordinary people at affordable prices.

Anna Mulders studied and worked in science while taking evening classes in art, including over ten years of sculpture and five years of ceramic courses. Since the end of 2013 Anna's focus has moved from science to art. One of Anna's favorites are coffee cups with rich colors and random effect due to glaze dripping or irregular firing.

Sheldon Ceramics is located in the Silverlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA. Sheldon Ceramics is owned and operated by ceramic artist, Peter Sheldon, and all around awesome fiancé and business partner, Ellen Woglom. Together, Peter and Ellen create beautiful, one-of-a-kind, functional wares and accents for the home. Each piece is crafted by Peter to embrace the unique variations and personality of the materials. Peter and Ellen hope to provide something that will be used and enjoyed for years to come. Whether shared around a dinner table with friends and family, or displaying fresh-cut flowers, their pieces are designed to enhance the home.

Tom Kemp is relatively new to pottery. Tom has spent the past four years as a part-time self-learning with a few courses thrown in. For many years Tom studied lettering and formal writing which translated into an abstract painting technique which Tom now applies to his pots. Tom also trained as a computer scientist.

Ben Carter returns for a third appearance on The Potters Cast. This time he talks about his new book, Mastering The Potter's Wheel. That isn't all that we talk about, but it is a big piece of the action. So Enjoy today's episode with Ben Carter.

Patrick Gibson focus is on creating ceramics to enhance people's everyday rituals. Eating meals together, drinking a cup of tea, or even grabbing that morning cup of coffee, can be transformed from something ordinary into a meaningful experience through the use of beautiful and thoughtfully designed vessels. Patrick enjoys clean lines and utilizes surface design that favors spontaneity over more laborious techniques. Patrick glazes impart an ethereal buoyancy and calming serenity to the pots.

Jordan Jones is a potter living in Freeland, WA who recently completed a 3-year apprenticeship with Robbie Lobell. She creates functional pottery in a home studio that she shares with her housemate Clovy Tsuchiya. Part-time, she glazes & fires kilns for Cook on Clay. Aside from clay, she enjoys animals and plants.

After graduating from St John University in 2001 with a major in art, Nick DeVries has worked as a production potter, taught classes at local art centers, and since 2011 he has pursued his studio work full time. Nick has exhibited his work nationally and maintains a studio in Minneapolis MN.

Jenn Gauer and Meghan Radick make pottery that is functional and lovely. Jenn uses a fine porcelain and throws the pieces on a potter's wheel, and Meghan decorates them using cake decorating techniques. Each bowl, cup or vase feels great and looks elegant—this is art that you are meant to use and enjoy!

Joseph Travis is a maker of functional ceramic objects, which are either filmed or live streamed straight from the Red Fox Pottery Studio. Currently Joseph is updating his pottery portfolio and placing the rest into an archive. Digital Ceramics Researcher: Joseph is currently a research student within MIRIAD at Manchester Metropolitan University, researching how we can use e-learning to help teach traditional skills like ceramics.

Kim Press likes to think of her work as her story. Each piece of art that Kim makes is a feeling, a thought, or a small moment in her life that is screaming to get out. Kim loves that she can make things that are uniquely her own. In a time where you can have anything you desire delivered to your doorstep with the click of a button, Kim loves that she is able to create things that require time to make. For Kim, being a maker in a world run by machines is incredibly gratifying. Kim's work is Kim's story. Kim's work is Kim.

Annie Chrietzberg took her first ceramics class in 1991, and then went on to acquire both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Ceramics. In addition to making and selling work, she has written more than twenty articles for Pottery Making Illustrated, taught at the college level, and has given workshops around the country and in Canada.

Branan Mercer graduated with a BFA in Ceramics from Auburn University in 2008. After graduation, he spent two years in St. Petersburg Florida as a resident artist at the Craftsman House Gallery and four years in Fairhope Alabama as Studio Manager and Instructor at The Kiln Studio and Gallery. Currently he resides in Birmingham Alabama where he is setting up a private studio.

The Ceramic Showcase in Portland Oregon in the largest ceramic showcase and sale in the United States. I am fortunate enough to live within a few minutes of the event. So I grabbed my recording equipment and headed down to the event. The work was amazing and the people are even better. Here are just a few examples of the great people and work that was found in the halls of the event.

Sikiu Perez was born in Venezuela. At early age, Sikiu started art school, where her father worked teaching ceramics. While in Venezuela, Sikiu acquired an Advertising and Marketing degree. In 2001 Sikiu moved to The United States, where she now lives with her husband who built her studio on the shore of a beautiful lake.

Brandon Schwartz is a full time Title 1 teacher, husband and father. He is also a part time potter, photographer, and designer. He grew up in Brooklyn, MI, earned an Art Ed degree at Huntington University and currently lives and works near Goshen, IN. He is currently focused on wheel thrown, functional pottery fired to cone 6 in oxidation.

Will McCanless is a second generation potter from Seagrove, NC. Will has been very fortunate to have been exposed from an early age to some of the best potters in the country while living and training in Seagrove, NC. Will's training has primarily been on an apprenticeship basis early in life with his parents, which was then followed by lots of informal travel and exposure related to all things clay. Will does a variety of styles and he is striving always to evolve.