The Potters Cast

Kelsey Schroeder is originally from Rapid City, South Dakota and is proud to be a working artist still living in the Black Hills. Kelsey is currently working out of her home studio full time to support her family. Kelsey is inspired by colors and textures in the natural world- from ocean tides and coral reefs, to geological formations and patterns in rocks. It is Kelsey's hope to create a world that is energetic and colorful while still staying true to the subtle beauty see in nature. https://ThePottersCast.com/1154

Tim McMahon graduated from the Maine College of Art and Design (MECAD) with a BFA in Sculpture. He taught middle school art at North Yarmouth Academy for 15 years, before leaving the teaching world to pursue full time work in carpentry and ceramics. Tim lives in Portland with his wife and two boys. He creates all of his monster designs in his backyard studio. http://ThePottersCast.com/1153

John Hunter has made pottery for over 50 years. In 1970 John studied at Penland School of Crafts with Cynthia Bringle and other well-known potters and ceramic artists. In 2005, John and his wife, Suzanne, founded Community Hope Ministries in Namibia. John lectures worldwide with his potter's wheel, applying insights from the perspective of a potter and the clay. Currently John fires his work in a local wood burning kiln and a gas soda kiln he built at his ceramic studio in Madison, Wisconsin. https://ThePottersCast.com/1152

Alex Mrachkovskiy has been working with clay for over 12 years. Alex founded a studio where he creates handmade ceramics — simple, honest, and full of character. Alex is drawn to texture, light, stillness, and those quiet moments when ordinary things feel special without saying much. https://ThePottersCast.com/1151

With her whimsical works, potter Jessa Decker-Smith endeavors to add delight to the mundane motions of everyday life. She lives in Denver with husband Eric, 3 kiddos, 2 studio cats and Big Mama, the fountain she made during lockdown that took her on an unexpected journey that has resulted in an additional 253 fountains, so far. Whether you find them at home, in the garden, or in sacred spaces, she hopes encountering her pieces brings you joy and ease. https://ThePottersCast.com/1150

Kathy Skaggs holds her MAE and MFA in Ceramics. Kathy taught art in public schools for 30+ years and founded Atlantic Pottery Supply. Kathy is now a Ceramic Education Consultant with AMACO, training educators and artists in clay integration and surface printing techniques. https://ThePottersCast.com/1149

Heather Lepp is an artist and educator originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She received her BFA from the University of Manitoba in 2016, and her MFA from West Virginia University in 2024. In addition to formal education, she apprenticed with four professional potters from 2016-2020. In 2019 she was an artist in residence at Medalta, and in 2023 she was a summer resident at the Red Lodge Clay Center. She has taught at numerous art centers and exhibited her work across Canada and the United States. Currently, she is a long-term resident at the Clay Studio of Missoula where she lives with her partner and two dogs. https://ThePottersCast.com/1148

Chris Pratt is a mechanical engineer who makes double walled ceramic mugs. After being laid off during Covid Chris started designing and making plaster molds for slip casting. Over the past few years Chris has refined his process with automated casting and glazing machines. https://ThePottersCast.com/1147

Lisa Fleming Ceramics is based in San Francisco, CA where she makes one of a kind, wheel thrown, porcelain vessels. Lisa's design-driven pieces focus on elegant silhouettes, simple yet sophisticated lines, and delicate balance. Lisa makes all her glazes and colored clays in her studio and loves to experiment! https://ThePottersCast.com/1146

Kura Studio was co-founded in 2017 by best friend duo Serena Pangestu and Anika Kalotay. Kura Studio believes that responsive design can turn day-to-day tasks into small thoughtful moments. Serena and Anika's practice is embedded in the idea of 'making' and 'designing' as a way to explore concepts of living, working, & consuming mindfully. https://ThePottersCast.com/1145

Nick LaPointe started throwing pots about 25 years ago at Santa Barbara City College and has been doing pottery ever since. Like many potters, Nick fell in love with the process of throwing and creating handmade art immediately. And about 6 years ago Nick started carving wood grains into his mugs experimenting with designs and ideas, working with other potters on collaborations, and throwing as much as he could! It's been an amazing journey up to now and he can't wait to see what the future brings! https://ThePottersCast.com/1144

Lauren Herzak-Bauman is a ceramic artist who creates functional pottery and installations. Lauren's work explores the beauty of materials, elevates everyday experiences, and prompts reflection on the transformative power of art. https://ThePottersCast.com/1143

Jessie lazar makes functional ceramics for the home and table. Mostly wheel thrown, mostly gas fired, Jessie makes clean precise forms with painterly glazes meant to elevate humble items in your daily routine. After over a decade of making, selling, and teaching ceramics in New York City, Jessie relocated her studio and business to the Catskills in upstate New York. Setting up a new ceramics studio and brick & mortar homegood store in Eldred NY. This quickly expanded beyond Studio Jessie Lazar into Sullivan Public, a 3400 square foot industrial space turned community artspace, hosting local teaching artists, classes, afterschool and community events. https://ThePottersCast.com/1142

Sarah Anderson is a traveling ceramic artist, teaching ceramic workshops across the country in a renovated Shasta camper with her dog Pip. After graduating from Ball State University with a sculpture degree, Sarah worked as a ceramic studio chair, sold work at craft fairs and numerous national galleries, partnered with her companies on the road, and now is opening an art therapy and ceramic store front called Dusty Pants Studio. https://ThePottersCast.com/1141

Tim Clark, also know as The Half Blind Potter. Tim lost the vision in my left eye in Dec of 2020 and discovered pottery in late spring of 2021. Ceramics has played a huge role in Tim's recovery and has actually provided two different avenues of advocacy and giving back to the visually impaired community. In 2023 Tim started the "Blindfold Challenge" to benefit The Fun Eye Fund. It is a charity that raises money for those that are in need of a prosthetic eye but may have a financial challenge in covering the cost due to lack of insurance or insurance not covering the cost of a prosthetic eye. https://ThePottersCast.com/1140

Roshni Senapati makes hand-built sculptural vessels which include stitched and knotted silk threads and cloth drawn from old family saris. Using two materials allows Roshni to explore family narratives and cultural connections through the form and colour of the porcelain vessels, as well as the histories enmeshed in the silk fibres. https://ThePottersCast.com/1139

Bennett Graves is a potter based in Pittsburgh, where he's been managing Fireborn Studios (alongside owner Dan Vito) since 2018. Bennett's work consists primarily of wheel-thrown porcelain, decorated with subtle surface variation and translucent high-fire glazes. Bennett's heart, however, belongs to humble, rough-hewn pots crafted from locally-sourced, minimally-processed materials. https://ThePottersCast.com/1138

John Neely is an alumni of The Potters Cast. Way back in the very beginning of the show John agreed to come on to The Potters Cast. Episode 31. John suddenly passed away this week. In tribute to John we are returning to his conversation. Lots of love to John and his family. https://ThePottersCast.com/1137

Gillian Martin is a Melbourne-based artist working primarily in ceramics. Gillian holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Ceramics) from Monash University and has a background in photography, a practice that continues to inform her attention to composition and surface detail. Since returning to clay. Gillian has focused on material exploration, working across a variety of clay bodies to investigate new approaches to form, color, and texture. Color and stripes plays a central role in Gillian's process. Through layered applications of contrasting tones and slips, Gillian creates dynamic, evolving surfaces to explore concepts of perception, optical illusions, and the nature of lines. This intuitive, unstructured approach allows each piece to develop its own visual language, shaped by instinct, emotion, and material response. http://ThePottersCast.com/1136

Hamish Jackson is a potter from England, and he started potting at Winchcombe Pottery in the Cotswolds. Hammish got married to his lovely American wife, Lauren and moved to the states about six years ago. Hamish completed a four year apprenticeship under Mark Hewitt and is now headed off to USU for grad school. http://ThePottersCast.com/1135

Beth Harden is a functional potter working out of her home studio in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. Beth's artistic journey is driven by curiosity, caffeine, and the determination to explore the endless possibilities of working with clay. Beth's process involves blending art with functionality while embracing a process centered in experimentation and exploration. Beth's creations not only serve as practical vessels for daily use but also as interactive art pieces that encourage individuals to immerse themselves in the unique textures and shapes, inviting exploration and connection with each use. https://ThePottersCast.com/1134

Nastia Calaca has always been dreaming of becoming an illustrator, creating intricate illustrations, reinventing beloved book characters, and writing new versions of her favorite stories was all part of her childhood. One day, Nastia unexpectedly stumbled upon ceramics and she unconditionally fell in love and have never parted since, having now been united for more than 12 years. https://ThePottersCast.com/1133

Fawn Penn is a ceramic artist working in Chicago. In 2020, Fawn co-founded The Digs Chicago, a non-profit community ceramics studio home to 100 artists. In 2024, Fawn founded Old Friends, a contemporary art gallery. Fawn graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a BFA (2020). https://ThePottersCast.com/1132

Chelsea Erdner is the artist behind Bombabird Ceramics. Chelsea has been working with clay for over two decades, but left her job as a graphic designer in 2017 to pursue Bombabird full-time. What started as a business focused primarily on functional production work has evolved to explore symmetry, clean lines, texture, balance, and repetition. Chelsea enjoys pushing the boundaries of the materials she works with — often piecing multiple wheel-thrown objects together to achieve balance and harmony in a finished shape or adding complex flourishes to a simple form. Since the beginning of Bombabird, Chelsea has prided herself on work that is not only beautiful, but meant to last. She has produced and sold thousands of pieces to folks all over the country, including selling through retailers like Food52 and Schoolhouse Electric. Chelsea's business has seen a lot in its eight years—studio moves, a pandemic, the birth of her first child—but she still wakes up every day feeling incredibly fortunate and inspired to do this work. https://ThePottersCast.com/1131

Jesse Hamerman started Beginner Ceramics in 2021 after not touching clay for 21-years, which he had studied in college. For Jessie it felt like a fresh discovery of the medium and his true self. Creating exuberant work at the intersection of design and craft for everyday use, each piece is crafted by hand in Brooklyn. https://ThePottersCast.com/1130

Amy Lee fell in love with rocks and clay at age two. While studying GeoEnvironmental Science, pottery became Amy's passion. Alongside a multi-decade IT career, Amy has built and supported creative communities. Today, Amy continues to create and inspire from her Virginia studio, blending science, art, and community. https://ThePottersCast.com/1129

Harlinah Teoh creates botanical ceramic art based on the plants she encounters while hiking in the Australian landscape. Born in Sydney, Harlinah lived in Darwin, Tokyo, and Singapore before making her home in Melbourne. Harlinah took up ceramics in 2019 and three years later shifted her work and lifestyle to focus on ceramics and hiking. https://ThePottersCast.com/1128

Welcome to America's largest clay focused art show. It happens every year in Portland Oregon. And thousands of people show up to check it out and buy pots. I got to be there as an "Artist's Assistant" to Jennifer Blais and Jessica Joner in booth 60. And it was awesome! I also got to walk around and talk to other participants of the show. Amazing people like emerging artists, first year participants, international artists, the chair of the organization, and more. This was my trip to Ceramic Showcase... Oh, and did I say that the event is put on by the Oregon Potters Association? https://ThePottersCast.com/1127

Jenny Cartee is a potter living in the mountains of western North Carolina. Jenny makes mugs and other functional pots that she sells at our local farmers market and coffee shops. Jenny's husband, Heath is a fly fishing guide and owns a guide service, Pisgah Outdoors. Jenny and Heath have two daughters, Annie and Molly. As a family they love the freedom that having their own businesses gives them to spend time with each other and their girls. Aside from pottery Jenny's life passions are cooking, baking bread, hiking ,and identifying wildflowers. https://ThePottersCast.com/1126

Ana Shioshita is a potter working in Vancouver Canada. Ana was lucky enough to grow up in Boulder Colorado around a lot of clay from a young age. Ana has spent the last decade designing for film, and has only recently started focusing on pottery full time. Ana is interested in creating work that conveys a sense of movement with the static medium of clay. https://ThePottersCast.com/1125

Marlaina Mathisen is a proficient wheel throwing artist who loves to share her understanding of the wheel to others. Marlaina's personal work focuses primarily on wheel thrown and altered forms ranging from functional works of art to organic sculptural centerpieces. Currently Marlaina teaches a variety of classes at The Digs in Chicago, Fine Line Creative Arts Center in and supplying and managing a pottery gallery in Door County Wisconsin called Ephraim Clayworks. Marlaina's 5 year plan is to continue diligently working towards establishing her own pottery studio. https://ThePottersCast.com/1124

Brighton, U.K. based ceramicist, Nicola Gillis makes functional tableware. Nicola takes inspiration from the East Asian use of tableware, a specific purpose for each vessel and where pleasure is drawn from individuality. Although there are commonalities, she does not seek to replicate exact size or marks and embraces imperfection. Shadows and light on daily walks throughout the seasons and the beauty found in degraded surfaces and patina also inform her work. Nicola has developed her interest in ceramics over the past 8 years, studying on the full-time Ceramic Development course at Forest Row School of Ceramics in 2019, and beginning to sell her work in during 2020. Initially using the wheel, Nicola developed her practice to include hand-building with slabs, carving, and coils, all of which she finds to be a slower, more thoughtful approach to making. https://ThePottersCast.com/1123

Multi disciplinary artist Niharika Hukku is based in Sydney. Niharika received her Bachelor of Fine Art in painting from the Delhi College of Art, India, and has undertaken studies in ceramics and sculpture in Indonesia, Singapore, New Zealand, and Australia. Niharika's work has been featured in over 30 solo and group for exhibitions in California, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, and Wellington since 2009 such as, Arcadia Contemporary, USA(2019), Sculpture by the Sea, Sydney (2016, 2024), and the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. Her work has been a finalist in the , Mosman Art Prize, Sydney (2017), 29th Gold Coast International Ceramic Art Award (2014) and the Harden Art prize(2024), featured in the book 'Earth and Fire' and also illustrated a children's book 'This bird has arms' which an honour book of the year. Her work has been acquired by Gold Coast City Gallery, and private collections in Australia and overseas. https://ThePottersCast.com/1122

Aaron Raymond is a Canadian potter that started his pottery journey in March of 2024. He has learned everything so far from the school of YouTube and by watching videos on Instagram. Aaron's work focuses on creating tiled designs on his work using both original designs or recreating tiled flooring from around the world. Aaron's interest in handmade pottery began while living in Lisbon, Portugal, for 2 years from 2018 to 2020, and it was the intricate stone designs in the plazas and sidewalks of Lisbon that first transpired the idea of putting these designs onto clay. https://ThePottersCast.com/1121

Will Donovan is the founder of Donovan Pottery, where storytelling and craft collide to create fantasy-inspired ceramics. Passionate about blending history, literature, and art, Will explores how pottery can bring stories to life. Will also runs Mathom House, a brand championing craft, community, and creative storytelling. https://ThePottersCast.com/1120

NCECA was in full swing and I wasn't there. So sad! So i did the next best thing... I attended through Instagram! Then I had the thought, What if I invited people that were posting at NCECA to call me for a short interview? So I tried it and it worked. These brave souls responded to my request and I got to talk to them while they were at NCECA. https://ThePottersCast.com/1119

Michael Cole, largely self-taught, has refined advanced techniques through workshops with esteemed artists like Noel Bailey, Steven Hill, Jon Townley, Deb Lecce, Sarah Wells Rolland, Simon Leach, and Jenifer McCurdy. Michael was a member of the 2024 Steven Hill Journey Workshop at Alison Palmer Studio. Michael makes his living as personal assistant to Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz. https://ThePottersCast.com/1118

Kara Leigh Ford is an English potter and author. In Kara's first visit with The Potters Cast we enjoyed learning about her journey into ceramics. Then she wrote a book, Pottery for Beginners and Kara came back for a second time to talk about her book. Today on Kara's third visit with The Potters Cast we talk about her second book, The Essential Pottery Notebook. https://ThePottersCast.com/1117

Danielle Lane & Lara Irwin's Instagram profile says, Two besties throwing like girls. And that explains their relationship perfectly- Danielle and Lara are best friends who make pottery together in Victoria, BC Canada. It all started when Danielle and Lara decided to buy a potters wheel together. Now they are making ceramics together and they wouldn't have it any other way. https://ThePottersCast.com/1116

Matt Wassenaar makes pottery all year long and sells it for 7 weekends at his booth in the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. After meeting Warren MacKenzie decades ago Matt took to heart his philosophy - make pottery for function and affordability. In 2001 Matt and his wife bought a booth at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival and started selling their work. Selling at the festival has turned into sales of 2,100 pots in 7 weekends. https://ThePottersCast.com/1115

GiAnna Orangio is a hobby potter based in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. Her brand, Evil Eye Pottery is a collection of vases that she creates on the pottery wheel in her home studio. GiAnna shares her ceramic journey and creations on social media (links below). https://ThePottersCast.com/1114

Anita & Neil Lawrence met in art school back in the late 80's and have been carving out a living together ever since. When Anita and Neil first graduated from art school they did various jobs on Vancouver Island in British Colombia to make ends meet. Eventually they bought a production studio, opened a restaurant, and lately a gallery studio. https://ThePottersCast.com/1113

Sarah Gromek is a high school jewelry & metalworking teacher. Sarah started ceramics eight years ago and now has her own small business. Sarah's studio is in her dining room and she sells her work online and through galleries. https://ThePottersCast.com/1112

Heather Elyse Head, a Northeast Georgia potter, blends traditional folk pottery with vibrant glazes and whimsical female faces. Mentored by esteemed regional potters, Heather's playful creations bring a modern twist to the craft. Her favorite part? Seeing her work makes people smile. https://ThePottersCast.com/1111

Eric Rempe first touched clay when he was in high school in Lancaster, PA. Eric has a BFA in ceramics from Penn State University and an MFA in ceramics from San Diego State University. Eric now lives in Princeton, NJ and he teaches ceramics at Princeton Day School. https://ThePottersCast.com/1110

NCECA is around the corner. NCECA is the largest art conference around and the event takes a massive amount of effort to make it happen. In today's episode we spend time with three amazing artists who helped to make this year's conference happen. Our guests, PJ Anderson, Antra Sinha, and Dara Hartman, have spent the last two years organizing, planning, and now executing in order to make this year's conference take place. https://ThePottersCast.com/1109

Shoji Satake, born in Kyoto, Japan and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, earned a BA in Studio Art and Government from The College of William and Mary (1996) and an MFA from Indiana University (2004). He is an associate professor of ceramics at Rhode Island School of Design. Shoji is also president of the NCECA Board of Directors. His work has been exhibited internationally. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and fly fishing. https://ThePottersCast.com/1108

Emilie Bouvet-Boisclair is a Canadian born artist living in Illinois. Emilie's approach to pottery is formed by a past of learning to throw with a production potter, and being immersed in the community studios of Chicago. Emilie has been a painter in her youth through her mid 20's, holding a BA in Fine Art from the State University of New York, Geneseo. Emilie's passion in the arts lies in the process of discovery. https://ThePottersCast.com/1107

Born in Berlin, Karoline Menge moved to Italy with her partner in 2021. Studied literature and writing, started making pottery in 2015 when she was still at Uni, did small jobs to be able to continue making pottery. Karoline opened her own studio in 2018 and started working full time as a potter. Now Karoline works in her studio in a small village called Bogliasco at the Ligurian coast in Italy. https://ThePottersCast.com/1106

Clare Unger uses hand stitching as a means of mark making on clay slabs to create ceramic vessels for domestic use. In this way Clare pays homage to her female ancestors for whom sewing and stitching was an important means of creative self-expression in their role as home makers. https://ThePottersCast.com/1105