The Potters Cast

Tamara "Solem" Al-Issa is a Syrian/Filipina Toronto-based sculptural artist with a focus on conveying preservation of time. Solem's work pulls from memories of the architecture and practices within SWANA and Southeast Asia through exploring familiar shapes, colours and textures from these regions. The Deep Blue series presents hand-built traditional shapes in a custom mixed cobalt blue which is a colour that evokes a familiar sense of nostalgia and wistfulness. In the SWANA region, the colour blue (particularly turquoise) is known to have mystical and protective qualities. http://ThePottersCast.com/1077

Peacefully working from her home studio on Vancouver Island, Karen Dance pursues her desire to create out-of-the-ordinary pottery pieces. Karen is inspired by the human form, natural movement, expressive features, and all the wonders found in nature. With over 35 years as an artist in many mediums, it was the melding of Karen's education at CMU Creature design and prosthetics along with Ceramics training at Sheridan college that led her on this path of exploration. http://ThePottersCast.com/1076

Michael Bridges is a potter living in Chicago, Illinois. Michael is a hand builder that identifies as a wheel thrower. Skulls, jack-o-lanterns, and spookiness are right at home in Michael's work. http://ThePottersCast.com/1075

Dennis Blatchley is a ceramic artist living and making in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Dennis makes a wide range of slipcast terracotta tableware with a distinct matt finish. Dennis' work comes in a choice of colours, that can be 'mixed and matched' to create a variety of exciting colour combinations. http://ThePottersCast.com/1074

Sarah Chatawanich has been a working artist for over 20 years within a wide range of disciplines. Sarah's current work focuses on the Japanese art of nerikomi. Sarah mixes stains with porcelain to create colored clays, which are then layered into blocks and sliced through to reveal unique patterns. Sarah's pieces are sanded at various stages and polished to create smooth, vibrantly colored surfaces. http://ThePottersCast.com/1073

Samuel Newman, founder of Suay Ceramics, is a Portland-based potter who draws inspiration from his Pennsylvania roots and the values of community and craftsmanship. Samuel's dynamic forms and atmospheric firings capture the creative journey, offering functional wares that foster meaningful connection and introspection through shared daily experiences. http://ThePottersCast.com/1072

Maria Loram is a ceramic artist, born in Russia, and is now based in California. Art has been Maria's lifelong companion, and despite a detour into linguistics at Moscow State University and a subsequent move to LA, she has now built a career in private tutoring. Maria's core fascination with art's power to explore and understand the world remained dormant yet undiminished. The turning point came with a divorce, which serendipitously guided Maria back to art, Eastern philosophies, and meditation practice. In 2022, a pottery wheel from Facebook marked the rebirth of her artistic journey through the medium of ceramics. Diving into classes and workshops led by renowned ceramicists like Tortus and Moondobang, Maria has embraced the endless possibilities of shape, texture, and color. http://ThePottersCast.com/1071

Don Katz is a blind potter based in Los Angeles, California. Don became blind due to bacterial meningitis in 2001. After waking up from a month-long coma he had to relearn to walk and feed himself and adjust to his sightless reality. What began as an introductory pottery course at The Braille Institute of Los Angeles, has now become Katz's obsession. Don's ceramics teacher once told him as he struggled on the wheel that "you are stronger than dirt," words he lives by today. Don appreciates feeling the clay take shape on the potter's wheel and how the touch informs the form. He enjoys creating unique handmade functional and decorative ceramic objects. http://ThePottersCast.com/1070

Brenton Duhan grew up between North Carolina and Kandern, Germany--home to two distinct and rich pottery traditions. Brenton studied at Brown University and RISD in Providence, practiced museum exhibit design in DC, and gave tours and made ceramics in New Orleans before moving to New Haven, Connecticut. Brenton is currently maintaining a ceramic practice while studying architecture at Yale University. http://ThePottersCast.com/1069

Peggy Quinn specializes in the creation of exquisite, one-of-a-kind, and limited quantity production craft pottery. Peggy's unique pieces blend functionality with elegance, enhancing both living spaces, and everyday living. Each creation is meticulously handcrafted, showcasing Peggy's expertise as a skilled potter and her unwavering passion for the art of pottery making. http://ThePottersCast.com/1068

Megan Shawkey is a potter in central North Carolina whose work focuses on a modern functional style. With over a decade of wheel throwing experience, her work explores themes of contrast through rounded forms with geometric surface design and bright bold glaze colors. http://ThePottersCast.com/1067

Brenda Lee Barron is passionate about sharing her love of clay. Brenda loves to make functional items (wheel and handbuilding) to be used at your table whether it's a meal for 1 or a gathering of 21. She is drawn to minimalist design because Brenda wants what you're serving to be showcased on the white speckled plates, platters and bowls. You'll sometimes find a touch of gold or a funky rim on her work. http://ThePottersCast.com/1066

Tim See began working in clay while an art student at Onondaga Community College and completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics with Honors at Syracuse University in 2004. Tim's work has been shown at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C, the Everson Museum in Syracuse, NY, the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester, NY, and, at Baltimore Clayworks in Maryland – as well as many other galleries and shows. The work has been recognized with awards every year since 2003. Social media has provided Tim many platforms to communicate with more than 11,000 potters nationally and internationally. Since 2007, Tim has produced 92 educational videos on pottery that have been viewed almost 2 million times and attracted more that 13,000 subscribers. http://ThePottersCast.com/1065

Amy Rae Hill is a ceramic painter who illustrates dramatic celestial scenes on pottery. After receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Western Washington University, Amy worked at a pottery painting studio to develop her current craft. Amy paints with low-fire pottery glaze on earthenware to create her pieces. http://ThePottersCast.com/1064

Victoria Rickson is a Canadian ceramic artist based in San Francisco, specializing in nerikomi. With a BFA in Photography from Parsons School of Design, Victoria transitioned to pottery post graduation, mastering the technique of colored clay as a member of community studios. Victoria's work balances precision with spontaneity, creating one-of-a-kind, color driven pieces. http://ThePottersCast.com/1063

When Lyndsey Roberts was seven, her mother gifted her a toy potter's wheel. That one gift sparked a bone deep, lifelong love for ceramics. Lyndsey went on to get her BFA in ceramics from UNCA, and has been doing her best to make her little seven year old self as proud as possible. http://ThePottersCast.com/1062

Summer Brendlinger's philosophy is centered on enriching everyday life through her pottery creations, aiming to bring joy and a handmade touch of artistry into people's homes. Summer's journey began in 1994 with a high school ceramics class. After a career in teaching, Summer returned to her passion for pottery, creating a studio in her backyard and teaching ceramics workshops at Talent Maker City. http://ThePottersCast.com/1061

Award winning Toronto artist, Alison Brannen makes one of a kind hand made ceramics. A creative risk taker, educator and avid sailor, Alison can't get enough of the wind and the fire! Inspired by her summer voyage on the Atlantic Ocean Alison creates dynamic patterns that ebb and flow along the surface of her beautiful organic vessels. Alison's work has been exhibited in Canada and the USA, with Fusion Clay and Glass, the Art Gallery of Burlington, Clay and Glass Gallery Waterloo, Oeno Gallery and Craft Ontario among others. Alison teaches pottery and Kintsugi workshops in her downtown Toronto studio where she lives with her husband Craig and her two beach loving dogs Ruby and Tilly. http://ThePottersCast.com/1060

Meghan Yarnell grew up in Northwest Ohio. Many of her happiest childhood memories include the time she spent exploring the field, creek, and woods behind her home. She graduated from Bowling Green State University in 2005 with a degree in 3D studies and has been teaching art in the public school system ever since. She is currently working as a high school ceramics teacher in Perrysburg, Ohio where she maintains a home studio alongside her husband and three children. http://ThePottersCast.com/1059

Nicole Thomas is a high school Ceramics Teacher by day and a Potter by night. Each summer season, Nicole takes a deep breath before diving deeper into her home studio practice. Nicole's wheel-thrown ceramics focuses on incorporating her Signature Style with a colorful surface full of movement and visual texture. http://ThePottersCast.com/1058

Marie Kouyaté's artistic practice is characterized by three guiding elements: retrospection, exploration and rehabilitation. Through her art Marie looks back to preserve and share her history, traditions and culture. Marie is a descendent of a long line of Fulani Griots – the nomadic chroniclers, storytellers and poets of West Africa. http://ThePottersCast.com/1057

Marian Draper is a vivacious personality who is passionate about the Ceramic Craft. Originally from Rome, NY, Marian is a graduate from Rochester Institute of Technology where she earned her bachelor's degree in studio arts. Marian is currently located in Asheville, North Carolina completing a residency at Odyssey Clayworks. http://ThePottersCast.com/1056

Kerri Louisa, an emerging ceramic artist from Australia, channels her lifelong passion for creative expression into each of her works. Originally from the Adelaide Hills, Kerri spent two decades living and working across Australia and abroad before settling on the Southeast coast of Queensland with her husband and teenage daughters. Kerri's journey into ceramics began in 2019 with a Visual Arts Diploma, where she discovered an unexpected affinity for clay. Post-diploma, Kerri embarked on a self-guided exploration of hand-building techniques, refining her unique artistic voice. Kerri's work, branded under the name Nioka Clay, has been showcased internationally, including exhibitions in Paris with 1000 Vases and in Perth with Anfisa Design. Her pieces feature in styling campaigns and adorn prestigious designer homes. Kerri continues to explore new dimensions in ceramics, blending her diverse inspirations into future creations that promise to captivate and inspire. http://ThePottersCast.com/1055

Eli Akins of Waldo Street Pottery is a mostly self taught ceramist in downtown Atlanta, GA, with a focus on large bonsai containers. "Finding a voice within a rigid set of parameters while making art for other artists is the challenge with Bonsai Pots". http://ThePottersCast.com/1054

Anton Sidko, a Moscow-based ceramic artist with a background in Chemical Engineering and medical research, began his pottery journey in 2011 as a hobbyist. Anton has exhibited his work in ceramics and contemporary art shows since 2021. In 2023, Anton invented the PORFIR method for shaping ceramics. http://ThePottersCast.com/1053

Gabs Conway is a sculptural ceramic artist based in Missoula Montana. Having grown up in Missoula, she was excited to return - as she relentlessly considers it home - after earning her BFA at the University of Wisconsin – Stout. Gabs' work stems from the playful, mundane experiences of living. She explores relationships, such as that of siblings, friends, and lovers. Interested in creating forms for the reflection of human experience; asking the viewer to consider their appreciation of life, and to humble the adornment of our physicality. Gabs remains curious of the inherent biological responses of living, and what it means to exist together in an ever changing world. http://ThePottersCast.com/1052

Darren Jackson got a random postcard at his day job (K-6 general music) to attend Arrowmont. When Darren's first choice was full, he ended up in hand building. After getting a wheel that fall, Darren hasn't looked back! When Darren is not in mud, he's on his front porch, picking his banjo! http://ThePottersCast.com/1051

Ray Brown was born in Houston, Texas, and received a BFA with Honors from the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi. Later Ray receive an MFA in Studio Art with emphasis in Ceramics at West Virginia University. http://ThePottersCast.com/1049

Over the past fifteen years of Cathy Terepocki's ceramics career she's had a diverse practice exhibiting, teaching, designing, and producing multiple collections of work. The backdrop of Cathy's studio is a large expanse of forest, with a river close by and the Cascade Mountains in view on a clear day. The influence of living close to nature is also something that has worked its way into Cathy's design practice. Cathy is most keenly aware of it in her choice of surface decoration - patterns abstracted from nature, vertical lines that mimic bare trees or grids that reference orchard rows. Glaze surfaces are inspired by mossy fence posts or the speckled smooth matte finish of a river stone. http://ThePottersCast.com/1048

Rachael Kroeker is a full time ceramic artist based in Winnipeg, Mb, Canada where she has been creating tableware for over 13 years. Rachael specializes in slip casting and mold making. Along with creating her signature style of marbled pottery, Rachael explores bold colour and pattern combinations. With a modern, contemporary feel and exquisite craftsmanship, Rachael's pieces are designed to beautify life, and enrich daily routines. http://ThePottersCast.com/1047

Lisa Orr is a professional potter and has been a student of ceramics for more than 40 years. After completing her MFA in 1992 at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, she received a Fulbright and an MAAA/NEA grant to continue her studies. Her work is shown in numerous public and private collections including the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, and the permanent collection of WOCEF in Korea. A full-time studio potter, she also teaches, lectures, and shows nationally and internationally. http://ThePottersCast.com/1046

Shannon Hogarty, a New York native, is a ceramic artist living and working in Austin, Texas. Shannon's work combines traditional techniques with contemporary designs, featuring unique surface decoration and vibrant glaze combinations. Shannon is especially passionate about atmospheric firing techniques, with a particular focus on wood firings. Shannon contributes to the to the Austin arts community through her roles as an educator, studio assistant, and artist in residence. http://ThePottersCast.com/1045

Asha Serra is a mother to three very cool kids, a wife, and an artist. Her love for clay started in high school, but she didn't take it seriously until she was well into college. Asha received a BFA and a MFA in ceramics from Montclair State University. Soon after graduating, she became an adjunct professor of ceramics at MSU. After teaching for 4-5 years, she decided to grow her family. Currently, she is juggling motherhood, teaching private lessons at her home, and working on her own art. http://ThePottersCast.com/1044

Alan Perillo is a potter living in Tenino, WA. Alan makes thrown, functional pottery that is wood-fired in his anagama-style kiln. Alan has been throwing pots since high school and studied as an apprentice in North Carolina. Alan is currently a vendor at the Olympia Farmers Market. http://ThePottersCast.com/1043

Andrew McCullough is a studio potter based in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. After taking some time away from pottery to further his education--and work in New Brunswick politics--he appeared as a competitor on The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down's first season. He is now opening a community pottery studio in downtown Fredericton to make pottery more accessible in his area. http://ThePottersCast.com/1042

Juliet Macleod makes wheel thrown porcelain decorated with slip. Juliet's work imparts an evocative exploration of the Scottish coast. Juliet repurposes shoreline waste such as metal, plastic, and rope into handmade tools for abstract mark-making. These tools are used to generate painterly, unique marks which reference coastal landscapes and the effects of changing weather and light. http://ThePottersCast.com/1041

Purvi Fumakaya is a fashion designer turned potter, shaping composite forms inspired by her journey of balance amidst life's challenges. With an eye for order and flair borrowed from fashion, Purvi crafts pieces that harmonize structure and creativity. Each creation tells a story of resilience and beauty born from adversity. http://ThePottersCast.com/1040

Kayla Noble is a second generation potter, born and raised in New York's Hudson Valley. Kayla is the current Woodfire Artist in Residence at The Clay Studio of Missoula in Missoula, MT. Kayla enjoys exploring the potential of clay in atmospheric conditions and the possibility for conversations that can happen with an ember-bed. http://ThePottersCast.com/1039

Jonah Harjer is a Michigan based ceramic artist. His work is highly decorated intricate designs through the use of stamps and decals. Jonah's stamps and decals have became central to his art. His process uses photo polymere printable plates to impress into the surface of his work. http://ThePottersCast.com/1038

Jared Tso is a fourth generation Dine' potter and a grandson of famous Navajo potter Faye Tso. Jared currently resides in Nahata Dziil, Arizona and completed his MFA at the University of New Mexico in 2021. Not only does Jared make pots, he also has an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering. Since transferring to full time artist, Jared has won the prestigious "Tony Da Innovation Award" (2022) at the Santa Fe Indian Market and "Best of Pottery" at the Heard Market (2023). In 2022 Jared was featured as a "Dwell 24", a group of rising stars in the world of design. Jared's pots are coil built, stone polished, and fired traditionally. http://ThePottersCast.com/1037

Lisa and David Dault are a husband-and-wife team growing a pottery business in the Dayton, OH area. Lisa and David focus on function stoneware pottery and enjoy enhancing the beauty of pieces through carving, faceting, and underglaze transfers. In the midst of running and growing the business, Lisa and David are raising five wonderful daughters. http://ThePottersCast.com/1036

Celina Frisson lives and plays in the canadian rockies with roots on the west coast. Celina is a multidisciplinary artist with expertise in ceramics & design. Celina's studio is located in Jasper National Park and she believes it is in her greater purpose to create art that connects people to their natural environments. Celina is here to create work that reflects fluctuating landscapes, activism with functionality to impact generations beyond my existence. http://ThePottersCast.com/1035

Ceramic artist Andrew Tarrant is an accomplished practitioner of sprigged decoration. Andrew's work is a contemporary view of classical pottery forms influenced by historical and mythological themes and a modern humor. Born in the United Kingdom, and moving to Canada at a young age Andrew's early memories of England promoted the evolution of his artistic career. http://ThePottersCourt.com/1034

Gabrielle Ione Hickmon is an artist and incoming History PhD student at the University of Michigan of, in, and focused on the African American Midwest. Gabrielle also hosts WORKING PROCESS, conversations with Black women ceramic artists about their work and process. http://ThePottersCast.com/1033

Cheri Downey, a ceramic artist originally from Northern California, is currently live in Huntsville, Alabama. Cheri began working with ceramics in 2014 in high school classes. Cheri has had home studios since after college and has owned a commercial studio for the last year in Tennessee. Cheri focuses on dinnerware sets, mugs, and luminaries. http://ThePottersCast.com/1032

Frank and Julie Korb began Korb Pottery in the summer of 2022. Frank is an artist and visual art educator and Julie is a pharmacist by day and potter in her time off. Korb Pottery makes functional, colorful, and expressive everyday tableware and houseware ceramics. http://ThePottersCast.com/1031

Ike Lobel is a Ceramics major at Suny New Paltz. Ike's work focuses on the use of 3D printing in ceramics and the potential results of it. Ike has been working with clay for the past 16 years, in this time Ike has developed his style focusing on high precision and creating results that respect both the history of ceramics but also technological advances. http://ThePottersCast.com/1030

NCECA is always a blast and has so much to see and do that it is completely impossible to show up and do it all. With that in mind, I tended to miss the annual NCECA Cup Show just because I was so busy doing other things. This was to be different... Not only did I add a cup to the show, I also attended and interviewed a number of people. On the show notes page are some pictures from day. Sorry, a couple are little blurry, but it gives you sense of the event. Included is a picture of the cup I added. http://ThePottersCast.com/1029

Born and raised in Alabama and Tennessee, Jody Lewis is a transplant to Canada. Having earned a bachelors in biology and a master's in public health, Jody assumed that he didn't have a single creative bone in his body. But things started to change for Jody when a friend showed him all the work she had in a pottery class and he knew he had to give it a shot. After talking a 10 week course, Jody was obsessed! Jody has since turned this new passion into a small business venture that is thriving. http://ThePottersCast.com/1028

Gerit Grimm and I sat down at NCECA to talk about her journey with clay. In our conversation we also talked about her moving from being a dreamer to being a doing. She gave us insights from the importance of dreaming to taking action on the dreams. http://ThePottersCast.com/1027