The Potters Cast

Brandi Jessup is a writer, a traveler, a maker, and most recently the new owner and director of Taos Clay Studio in Taos, NM. She received her BFA in 2012 from Alfred University, and is currently learning to reconcile her art practice with her new role as first time business owner.

Maria Dondero makes pots and teaches in Athens, GA with her husband and twin boys. She received her MFA from the University of Georgia in 2008 and has worked as a studio potter and adjunct teacher ever since. She makes functional pots whose aesthetics draw on the age old and worldwide history of ceramics. While subtly referencing pottery traditions from around the world, Maria intuitively sketches images from her surroundings, grounding her work in the Georgia soil. Her work is shown and carried in galleries though out the country.

Sarah Blackwell is an artist living and working in Brooklyn, NY. She holds a degree in drawing and printmaking from Hampshire College and is proud to be a founding member of the artistic amoeba, The Royal Frog Ballet. Sarah started working with clay in 2011, first as a student at The Greenwich House Pottery and then as a studio assistant at Clay Space 1205 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. She currently works out of her studio in Clay Space and sells work through her website:

Kate Maury received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Kansas City Art Institute and a Master of Fine Art from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Currently she resides in St. Paul, Minnesota where she is a studio resident at the Northern Clay Center and teaches full-time as a Professor in the School of Art and Design at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Her work is featured in both juried and invitational shows at regional, national and international venues. In addition Maury’s work is published in contemporary ceramic art books such as Making Marks: Discovering the Ceramic Surface by Robin Hopper, 500 Bowls, Lark Books, The Art of Contemporary American Pottery by Kevin Hluch, and High-Fire Glazes by Lark Books. She has taken part in two residencies at the Archie Bray Foundation, three residencies at the Sanbao Ceramic Art Institute in Jingdezhen, China and most recently completed two residencies at the International Ceramics Studio in Kecskemet, Hungary.

Born in Fredericton, New Brunswick in 1959, Mary Fox moved with her family to British Columbia in 1966. Mary is self-taught and has worked solely as a potter since 1979. Mary's works are exhibited nationally and internationally, and she especially enjoys the time that she spends with customers from around the world who visit Mary's studio in Ladysmith, on Vancouver Island.

Holly McKeen is known for her Crystalline glazed porcelain and functional ware. Selling from her own Gallery in Chilliwack BC Canada since 2005, Holly approached her Pottery business with an entrepreneurial attitude as well as an eye for the art. She’s shown that taking the leap to Pottery as a full time job can pay off.

Laura B. Cooper is a potter working around Athens, Georgia. In addition to her own work as Laura B. Cooper ceramics, she also operates a pottery studio and gallery in Bishop, Georgia with six other artists. Their group is called Long Road Studios, and is comprised of seven independent ceramic artists working together to accomplish more as a group than they ever could individually.

Jeremy Nichols grew up making and flying model aircraft leading to degree in Aeronautical Engineering(1971). Jeremy changed direction to a career in Social Work while he started making pots for relaxation. Eventually Jeremy caught the ‘bug’ and earned a degree in ceramics, focussing on saltglaze. He graduated 1997 in and established a workshop on an ex-farm north of London, England. His work is strongly influenced by the early aviation interests.

Jenni Ward is a ceramic sculptor, art instructor and owner at Earth Art Studio. She is passionate about working with clay to build abstract forms and installations that reflect the beauty of the natural world. A natural teacher and philanthropist, she shares her creativity with students at her home studio and abroad.

Linda Bloomfield trained as a materials scientist but always dreamed of becoming a potter. She works from her studio in west London where she has designed and made porcelain tableware ranges for Liberty, Harrods and ABC Home. She throws on the wheel in porcelain and makes beautiful translucent glazes, which she puts on the inside of forms.

Patick Noe graduated in 1980 with an art major from the College of Charleston in Charleston SC. Patrick's emphasis was on painting, but he also took sculpture and printmaking. After college Patrick worked in clay for 20 years but wanted to get back into painting without having to give up clay. He started to experiment with using woodcuts to create relief in clay slabs and then painting and firing them in his kiln. This technique grew more refined and complicated and into the unique art form that Patrick produces today.

Robert Briggs has been a potter in Springfield Missouri for around 20 years. Robert has been a semi full-time potter sinse around 2006. Robert and his wife, Ruth participate in most of their local art fairs and have several pieces in local galleries. They produce crystalline porcelain and raku artware.

Mark Strayer loves making objects and creating pots as become his passion. As an Industrial Designer who works with materials like wood, plastic, steel and glass on a daily basis, Mark really enters a different place when his hands touch clay. To Mark there is something amazing about clay coming from the earth, a natural, fluid and organic material that truly becomes alive as it moves through his fingers. Mark's focus is on quality, function, and lately a more rustic aesthetic to his pieces. Mark desires that his pots will impact and enhance people’s lives and they will also in some small way help keep the art and craft of handmade important in our everyday lives.

Sue Adler’s pottery reflects the many influences from the layers of her life. Her equestrian passion resonates in the one of a kind horse hair fired pieces she creates. A love of all things botanical is expressed in her hand built and wheel thrown ware. Sue, a native long Islander attended Farmingdale State University where she earned a degree in Ornamental Horticulture. She studied at Maple Leaf Pottery in Sea Cliff N.Y. and is a member of Potters Council and the Long Island Craft Guild.

Courtenay Singer is an award-winning producer, director, and writer of non-fiction films and television programs. She has worked on shows for PBS, National Geographic, TLC, Animal Planet, and many other networks, and has contributed to several independent films. In 2012, she co-produced the ABC-7 documentary "Imagine: A Celebration of Children's Hospital Los Angeles," which won an LA Area Emmy Award. "Out of the Fire" is her first feature film.

Brenda Holzke have had a lifelong passion for anything artistic and creative. In 1985 Brenda graduated from The Art Center College of Design with a BFA. She went on to work in advertising as an art director for the following 6 years. Frustrated with the corporate structure, Breanda left advertising to create functional ceramic wares. Along with her husband they owned and operated a ceramic factory in California employing 21 artisans to hand paint and sculpt her designs. Brenda is now a licensed designer for major corporate stores across the country. In 2008 Brendaactively began creating fine art, one of a kind works, in both clay and mixed media wall art.

Alex Apland is a potter from southern Oregon. Alex uses her pottery not only to supplement her income, but to support a local food pantry

After spending several years as a fashion and print designer, Judi Tavill found clay about 12 years ago. She works intuitively, investigating and exploring while working on a form. Initially creating unique functional pieces, Judi has veered off toward sculpture and is currently integrating melted glass into much of the work.

Kathy Catlin calls herself a Part Time Potter With A Full Time Passion! Located in rural upstate New York, you can find Kathy in her barn studio most weekend and vacations from her full time job as a High School Social Worker. Kathy creates functional stoneware pottery made on the wheel, which she claims is the key to her sanity!

Gillian Mcmillan grew up in rural England, attended teacher training college in London, taught there for some years and then emigrated to Canada. After a year's teaching in Montreal she headed west, to Vancouver. She married Alan, an archeologist, they bought the 1914 house where they still live in Port Moody and had two sons. Meanwhile Gillian was taking pottery classes, teaching pottery and selling her work at craft fairs. At age 48, she was accepted at Emily Carr College of Art & Design and earned her BFA in Ceramics. Now, twenty years after graduating she has become known for the colourful jugbirds she sells at galleries on Granville Island and at Vancouver Airport.

Louise Gelderblom is a self taught ceramicist with a background in design and photography. Louise lives in Cape Town, South Africa and has a teaching and production studio where she makes large hand built sculptural vessels. Louise is very much part of the low tech designer/maker tradition that makes work from her part of the world so distinctive.

Leah Goren is an illustrator and surface pattern designer living in Brooklyn, NY. She graduated in 2012 from Parsons School of Design with a BFA in Illustration. For the past 3 years she has been working on translating her illustration style into hand-built ceramics.

Ann Van Hoey was born in 1956 in Belgium, where she lives and works. Many times awarded in international competitions, her work is exhibited in major galleries and her pieces are in the collections of international museums. Her works, of great simplicity and elegance, are extremely impressive in their perfection, their fragility and their featherweight appearance.

Joe has been a full time Ceramics Teacher in Tertiary Education in Australia and a practising potter for over 30 years. During this time he has shown in numerous exhibitions and his ceramics work is represented in private and public collections in Australia. Last year he set up a private Pottery School in Brisbane called Oxide Clay Art.

Susan Simonini is an Australian artist currently working in the medium of clay. Susan has a background in painting and printmaking, with a degree in Fine Art. She uses varied techniques to create a range of both functional and decorative ceramics. When not in her studio you can find Susan down the beach riding her skateboard!

John Neely talks clay from both the perspective of an educator and an entrepreneur.

Julia Paul talks about branding, hiring employees, and how to move your prices from average to premium.

Gina Feddersen tells of her love of nature and its inspiration for her creative life.

Kim Murton hangs out with me and talks clay, business, inspiration, and family.

Adam Field talks about his journey with clay and his love of design on his pieces.

Chris Snedden's story of how many pivots he made through out his career is a great testimonial as to the value of flexibility.

Ben Carter, host of Tales of a Red Clay Rambler, explains how he sees his body of work through his podcast as a record for generations to come.

Stefan Andersson talks about finding your place as a potter.

Carolyn Edlund tells of her journey into clay and into a thriving business with clay that eventually turned in to a passion to coach artists about the business of art.

Peter Pincus explains the process of his art and then discusses how to price one's work.

Patrica Griffin offers an insight into her way of building her busness through email growth

Will Donovan tells us about his plans to develop his pottery business.

James DeRosso tells the story of the birth of a monster business.

Jennifer Crighton talks about sharing studio space to make the pottery business more viable.

Brian R Jones talks about his podcast, his clay, and his struggles.

Linsey Reardon and Austen Sewell talk about their love for pottery and thier plans for life.

Shino Takead brings on her journey to clay.

Justin Rothshank talks about the "numbers" of building a viable pottery business.

Michelle Katz co-owns Arizona's largest private teaching studio. She explains the impact and usefulness of Groupon for her business.

Joel Cherrico gives us a model that can be followed in order to build your pottery business.

Today I talk about the importance of getting your pottery business on line.

Christopher Vaughn talks about his journey as a potter trying to build a pottery business.

Audra Doughty is the Mud Queen!!! She tells her story of how she went from student to studio owner.

Tom Jaszczak talks about his journey with clay.

Travis Owens talks about his heritage and journey as a potter.