The Potters Cast

From a young age Jeanette Stevens' infectious positivity and enthusiasm has been at the heart of both her career and personal life. Throw in Jeanette's fascination with organisation and passion for all things creative, it's no surprise her career path and hobbies have been varied! From Master baker & cake decorator to aerobics instructor & accountant, Jeanette's heart settled in the fabulous world of bridal, as Managing Director of global business selling designer wedding dresses to bridal shops. Sometimes the best things in life are the unexpected. When 2021 brought intense challenges navigating a business through covid lockdowns, Jeanette received a surprise birthday gift from her husband of a potters wheel, where she discovered incredible calm & stress release in a hobby that had been on her bucket list since a child. Six lessons later and hours of Youtube binge watching and she is totally addicted and passionate about Clay. In two short years she has built a home studio and documented her journey on Instagram and You Tube, having the best time ever in her happy place. http://ThePottersCast.com/953

Eric Ordway is a potter and teacher currently living and working in Columbia, MO. Eric makes wheel-thrown and altered pots that are finished in high, atmospheric kilns. Eric's work is influenced by his blue-collar roots, his interest in spirituality, and fantasy. Eric recently was nominated as a 2023 Emerging Artist by Ceramics Monthly. http://ThePottersCast.com/952

Harley Weigle is a Ceramic Artist and Art Educator interested in functional vessels as a bridge to deepen relationships and explore identity. Harley received his bachelors of Fine Arts from Shippensburg University and attended the University of Florida for a Post-Bacc in Ceramics. This fall Harley will graduate from Kutztown University with his Masters in Art Education. http://ThePottersCast.com/951

AnaLuz Sainz Rodriguez was born in Michoacan in Mexico but now lives in Kalamazoo, MI with her family. AnaLuz has been practicing pottery for 3 years now and is currently an intern at Troy Bungart Studios where she also produces her work. http://ThePottersCast.com/950

After years of play and study with clay, Miranda Trostle founded Sego Lily Pottery in 2015. By creating vessels with intention that explore the balance of aesthetics and utility, Miranda's work seeks to elevate the rituals of daily life. Having worked primarily with electric oxidation firings, Miranda is excited to begin exploring wood and gas reduction environments and learning to fire different types of kilns. http://ThePottersCast.com/949

Michal Karen Gelman makes contemporary functional ceramic homeware. Michal finds herself drawn to the functional, but at the same time, she sees the material, as she touches the evergreen. Michal is fascinated by this connection. She loves to take a surface, a clay sheet, fold it, gives it a capacity, and create a container. plays with the rough and the delicate, the horizontal and the widthwise, movement versus stillness. What attracts and drives Michal forward, is the contact with the material itself, the traditional forms, and the way to unravel it. Freefolding is Michal's studio brand. http://ThePottersCast.com/948

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/947

Ever since Tanner Gerstberger was young, he has had a yearning to create. Like many teenagers, Tanner found his first love in high school. Only Tanner's was the pottery wheel. Tanner took as many classes as he could and increased his skills to the point where Tanner was showcasing his art in local shows and competitions.Taking the plunge to being a full-time, economically challenged artist is a tough step to make. Tanner's plan was to pursue a degree in Construction Management at Colorado State University so that one day he would be able to save up enough money to do pottery full time. Dr. T was a nickname given to him by his friends in college. Eventually, word spread of Tanner's new nickname and his family decided to surprise him with a stunning, orange, neon sign as a gift, adding further sentiment to the name. Now the sign has become a symbol of Tanner's art and he realized the name Dr. T was here to stay. http://ThePottersCast.com/946

Bebe Federmann Designs specializes in functional ceramics that are made to be used, whether it is for a special gathering or as your everyday tableware. Made in small batches, and limited editions, these handmade wares are created to make the home, and rituals of mealtime, more beautiful and meaningful. Bebe resides in New York, and splits her time between Long Island and New York City. http://ThePottersCast.com/945

Jacques Monneraud is a studio potter based in the south west region of France. Jacques' wheel-thrown objects are mainly functional. Jacques has discovered ceramics a little over two years ago at the time of this post and has done everything to pursue the dream of becoming a ceramist ever since. Potters and neophytes can follow his journey on Instagram, where he documents his day by day evolution in the field. http://ThePottersCast.com/944

Carly Slade grew up in "Big sky" Alberta, Canada. Carly's work is influenced by her blue-collar roots and plagued by a concern for the precarious nature of the working class. Using a mix of materials (most often including clay, embroidery, and building supplies), Carly creates dioramas of real places in an unreal perspective. Carly received her MFA from San Jose State University and her BFA from the Alberta University of the Arts. Carly is currently an Assistant Professor and Area Head at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, in Arcata, CA, USA. http://ThePottersCast.com/943

Kieu Tran was born in Can Tho, Vietnam and is a first generation Vietnamese American artist based in Oakland, California. Kieu creates elegant, sensuous, biomorphic ceramic sculptures that meditate on love, connection and belonging. Her sculptural practice spans across ceramic, wood, marble and bronze. For studies, Kieu obtained a bachelor's degree in art history from UCLA and studied art while living in Italy and Germany. In 2014, Kieu followed an intriguing pull to Silicon Valley where she learned to code in 2014 and soon after became a full time software engineer. On a parallel path, she also developed a serious ceramic art practice. Immersing in the two practices side-by-side, Kieu eventually realized that she was always meant to be an artist. In January of 2021, Kieu left tech to pursue her passion of becoming a full time artist. Her ceramic sculptures have since been received with excitement and she has cultivated a growing following of enthusiastic collectors worldwide. http://ThePottersCast.com/942

Sue Pryke's work is concerned with functionality and the exploration of tactile surfaces to create tableware. Sue uses slip casting as a vehicle to produce domestic ware which is a nod to an industrial method of making, but use it in a craft setting to make pared-back contemporary ware that industry would find difficult to produce. Sue is inspired by the everyday and the ordinary, tactility and utility, material qualities, and the interaction we have with objects. Small details and preferences which reflect the intuitive decision making we all make on a daily basis when choosing what cup to take from the cupboard for a cup of tea.

Micah Schedler started his pottery journey with a simple desire to learn a skill and improve. As his skills grew and his hands got smarter, Micah started to care deeply about making "nice" pots; pots that are functionally sound with good proportions and surrounding all of those things, beautiful pots. Surrounded by incredible makers in Minnesota, Micah is lucky to land in such a rich pottery tradition rooted in functional and honest pottery. Now Micah is trying to make his own pots informed by that tradition. Right now Micah makes his wares in a renovated two car garage. He uses dark stoneware covered in white slip which helps to create some visual depth in an electric kiln. The slip brings folks into those moments of making with finger marks, drips and swipes. Joy permeates his work. Micah and his partner Emma have two small kids and live in Minnesota. He works 3 days as a Registered Nurse, a potter 2 days a week, and a tired, happy dad 7 days a week. http://ThePottersCast.com/940

Eliana E. Rodriguez is a Latina artist of color who creates pottery, prints and illustrations. Eliana has served as a Studio Assistant at the Penland School of Craft, and is a Speedball Demo Artist. Eliana has a clay and printmaking studio in Asheville, NC where she continues to make work. http://ThePottersCast.com/939

Amy Song is a ceramic artist working in Plainfield, IL. Amy holds a BA in studio art and ceramics from Hope College and fell in love with wood firing at Waubonsee Community College in 2013. In 2018, Amy founded River Song Pottery in Plano, IL. Since then, River Song has hosted its first workshops bringing nationally known potters to the area and is excited to be spreading the love of wood firing in the greater Chicago area. Amy is the lead organizer of the Northern IL Pottery tour, which was launched to celebrate and lift up the incredible work being created in the area. http://ThePottersCast.com/938

Benjamin Cahoon is a ceramic artist and arts administrator based near Portland Oregon. While managing a studio and working in social media consulting/content creation, Benjamin has been professionally practicing art for over 10 years and teaching for 7. Benjamin's practice contains atmospheric firing, large scale installations, conceptual sculpture, and illustration. http://ThePottersCast.com/937

Marissa Childers earned her BFA from the University of North Alabama, worked as a ceramic intern at Anderson Ranch Art Center, and completed her MFA at the University of Oklahoma. Marissa was an NCECA graduate fellowship recipient in 2020 and was chosen as one of Ceramics Monthly's Emerging Artists of 2022. http://ThePottersCast.com/936

Adam Meistrell was born and raised in Naples, Florida. Adam's first memories are of making art and traveling. After graduating from Penn State, Adam spent a few years seeking out adventure: driving to Alaska, jumping off cliffs in Italy, and surfing in Costa Rica. Adam earned his MFA from The Louisiana State University. http://ThePottersCast.com/935

Since leaving Camberwell College of Art in 1998 Justine Allison has been primarily working with hand-built porcelain. Justine's work addresses the boundaries between function and decoration. Form is paramount; function is a driving motivation, but it is the aesthetics of a piece that are key to Justine's making. The early influences from London; buildings, windows, streets and sounds remain with Justine although living in rural Wales.

Robin Turnage is the host of the podcast, Potters of Color 2.0! Having been a listener of show, I was so excited to finally meet Robin in Cincinnati at NCECA. We sat down at the convention center in the food court area and had this conversation while conference goers were eating lunch all around us. http://ThePottersCast.com/933

Taiyaba Ahmed is a Multicultural Fellow for NCECA. I am so thankful I got to meet Taiyaba while I was at NCECA and we decided to meet at a coffee shop first thing in the morning... 7:30! The sun wasn't even up yet! So we were a little groggy. A tea and coffee and a light pastry came to the rescue to give us the energy to have a coherent conversation. Taiyaba is our first guest from Pakistan and I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation. http://ThePottersCast.com/932

Ben Clark is the co-owner of Queen City Clay in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ben isn't the founder of Queen City, but he is the buyer. In this conversation we talk about his journey with ceramics, Queen City Clay, and business ownership http://ThePottersCast.com/931

Many wonderful things happen at NCECA! One of the events that is so amazing is the student pottery throwing contest that is sponsored by Skutt. Students compete for 3 days and the winner of each day wins $100 and then the three winners pieces are judged for the grand winner. The grand place winner is awarded a potters wheel. And Michelle Gawedzki was the grand prize winner! http://ThePottersCast.com/930

Brandon Christy is a studio potter living and working in Berea, KY. Brandon received his BFA in Ceramics from Western Kentucky University in 2002. After a 14-year hiatus from clay he started Bark Camp Pottery in 2016. Now Brandon makes intricately decorated wheel thrown handmade pottery. http://ThePottersCast.com/929

NCECA 2023 was a great year for the conference. It felt like the "good o' days" of pre-covid conferences. And one of the things I really love about NCECA are the PopUps that occur that are sponsored by various potters. The events are always magnetic and full of great people and pots. This year was no different. I wasn't able to make it to all the PopUps, but these were two excellent examples. Though the PopUps were pre-planned, these interviews were not. I showed up unannounced, pulled out my mic, and started asking questions. http://ThePottersCast.com/928

When I was at NCECA a few weeks ago I was given the honor of interviewing Rebecca Ickes Carra of The Maker's Playbook. In this conversation we talked about finding and keeping customers. Rebecca is a brilliant entrepreneur and has some amazing advice to share. http://ThePottersCast.com/927

Cam Waller is a Japan-based, Black American ceramicist interested in using craft and natural materials to subvert expectations and explore various themes, including communication, identity, and value systems. Cam received their MFA in Ceramics at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2022 and is currently pursuing their Ph.D. http://ThePottersCast.com/926

Alex Olson makes pottery and works as a freelance photographer in Brooklyn, New York. Alex fires most of his faceted and textured functional pots in wood and soda kilns. Alex studied studio art at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, where he focused on ceramics, photography, and woodworking. http://ThePottersCast.com/925

Matt Robinson's love of yoga leads to his introduction to clay. A friend and fellow yogi (who has a BFA in ceramics) teaches wheel-throwing classes at a local community studio. After hearing her mention it off-hand at the yoga studio over the years, Matt was finally intrigued enough to give it a shot in 2019. It was love at first spin! A few years later, now with a tiny basement laundry room/pottery studio combo, Matt still finds ceramics just as intriguing and delightful. http://ThePottersCast.com/924

Julie Harbers is an Orlando, FL based potter who splits her time between two community studios as a teacher and staff member, and her own backyard home studio. Julie makes functional ware with colorful surface designs using colored slips, underglazes, and glazes. http://ThePottersCast.com/923

Andy Ward hand builds pottery from natural materials using primitive tools. Andy personally gathers and processes all the raw materials he uses for his pottery. Andy's work is a product of the earth, a piece of the Southwest desert, inspired by the ancient potters who came before. http://ThePottersCast.com/922

Sherród Faulks creates beautiful things that help you cultivate moments of joy, connection, and love. DEEP BLACK is a modern minimal home décor brand where functionality and intention are at the heart of every handmade piece. Here, beauty reigns supreme. Catch Sherród in The NY Times, Great Jones, Business of Home, and more. http://ThePottersCast.com/921

Claire Ireland produces elegant hand-built sculptural forms on different scales - collectable objects, inspired by her studio's location in the grounds of a historical steam museum in London UK . Claire's working practice as a ceramic sculptor is changing and is drawn to a more minimal and reductive strategy, simplifying structures, but constantly enhancing and developing the surface. http://ThePottersCast.com/920

Lexie Lynn Burke is a painter turned potter. Lexie is adding a little artwork to functional mugs to help people to enjoy their mornings just a little better. Inspired by what she sees from day to day (especially pop culture) and often mug illustrations change with the seasons, Lexie's portraits are her favorite challenge. Lexie also loves an illustration with a black outline to make it pop. Lexie rarely repeats an illustrations, so every piece is unique. Works full time as a senior accountant, Lexie pursues her passion on the side. http://ThePottersCast.com/919

Lea Sagman is a translator and a potter. While on a vacation to Greece Lea, her husband, and friends, each said what he would like to do after retirement - Lea's dream was to become a potter. Two years passed before she took the first pottery class and was immediately hooked. What started as a hobby gradually became an important part of Lea's life. Pottery is at times comforting, at times frustrating, at times therapy – always fulfilling. http://ThePottersCast.com/918

Adero Wllard is originally from New York City and currently lives in Chicopee, MA. Adero received a BFA at Alfred University an MFA at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and was a Salad Days artist in resident at Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts in Maine. Adero has over twenty-five years as a ceramics artist and has been featured in a number of discussion panels, publications, books on ceramics, and has exhibited work nationally and internationally. Adero is committed to equity and inclusion work, and while a visiting assistant professor in ceramics has been a faculty co-facilitator for IDEA lab an anti-racism and anti-bias program at Alfred university. Adero is a co-founder of the non-profit outreach organization POW! Pots on Wheels since 2014 and is committed to diversity and anti-hierarchical approaches to teaching in the field of ceramics. For Adero it is all about a love for clay, nature, community, history and learning and sharing knowledge of the handmade with others. http://ThePottersCast.com/917

Brett Wulc is a studio potter from Portland, OR. Brett has been working with clay for 14 years and has always had a focus on wheel thrown pots. Throwing functional dinner ware and filming is his process all along the way. http://ThePottersCast.com/916

Wesley Brown is a ceramicist working in East Stroudsburg, PA. Wes holds a BFA from Bowling Green State University and an MFA from Indiana University-Bloomington. Through a combination of hand building and wheel throwing Wes creates vessels in clay that are a meeting place for both the sculptural and functional. http://ThePottersCast.com/915

Madisen Potratz is a potter based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, who earned a BFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Madison is the founder of Good Art for Good, a pottery business with a mission to support nonprofits and charities in her local community. http://ThePottersCast.com/914

Dylan Bowen makes slip decorated earthenware using both traditional and contemporary materials and techniques. . Dylan works on a small but ever-changing range of shapes, large platters, bowls and carved forms. The clay is thrown, cut, carved or handbuilt, the slips are poured trailed or brushed on. Dylan's work has its roots in traditional slipware but with many contemporary influences. Bowen aims to capture some of the dynamism and spontaneity of the making process in the finished work. http://ThePottersCast.com/913

Bianca Pintan is an artist born and raised in Brazil, now based in the coastal town of Byron Bay, Australia. Following a captivating inner-call and intuition Bianca began her journey into creating ceramic art. Having always worked hands on, the art of ceramics came naturally to Bianca, as though her hands had memorized these movements before. As a self-taught artist Bianca uses this to her advantage, being open to receive inspiration rather than searching for it, exploring the realm of ceramics with a playful curiosity. Bianca's pieces are all hand-built, a unique technique used for the classic shapes she is creating. Bianca allows the clay to guide her into whatever shape is wanting to be birthed, creating an exceptional relationship with her medium. Playing with the textural elements of shape and light, Bianca's pieces tell a unique story each time you view them. http://ThePottersCast.com/912

Christy Culp lives in western Pennsylvania and began her work with clay at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she earned her art teacher certification in 1991. Since 1997, Christy has been teaching ceramics and art classes at Deer Lakes High School. Through her teaching Christy hopes to pass her passion for clay and creating to her students. When not teaching, Christy can be found in her renovated barn studio on the small berry farm she and her husband share. Her work is directly influenced by life on a farm and her love of cooking. Christy's goal is "to bring beauty and joy to the everyday ritual of eating and drinking." http://ThePottersCast.com/911

Milla Istomina was born and raised in Kazakhstan. Milla moved to the USA in 2013 and has been residing in Los Angeles, California. Milla took her first pottery class in 2018 at the Barnsdall Art Center. What started as a weekend hobby quickly turned into a monthly membership at a communal studio. Mist Ceramics was born, and experimenting with clays, techniques, glazes and styles has begun. Just like many people across the globe, Milla lost her full time job on the marketing team of an arts organization when the COVID pandemic struck. It was time to make a path for oneself and take risks, so Mist Ceramics slowly became Milla's main project. Mist Ceramics practice explores various techniques and genres while executing the neverending battle of trained wheel thrower versus self-taught hand builder. http://ThePottersCast.com/910

Nic Torres runs a podcast called Shaping Your Pottery to help potters to discover their unique voice. Nic has been making pottery for 5 years and he knows how hard it is to develop your unique voice in pottery. That is why it is Nic's mission to help potters find theirs. http://ThePottersCast.com/909

Betsy Morningstar loves yellow, donuts, and her cat, Vesper. Betsy's hobbies include making peanut butter, carrying her cat up into her loft studio, and smiling. Betsy is a full time high school art teacher near Baltimore, Maryland. Betsy started creating porcelain notebook papers out of a need to find and see importance in each day, and to communicate outside of herself in a physical way. Each porcelain paper features journal notes and fleeting moments from a day in Betsy's life, now forever special and permanent. The notes vary on the emotional spectrum of life, but all are significant moments Betsy never wants to forget. They are Betsy's brain and her heart in physical form. http://ThePottersCast.com/908

Julie Spako and I lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and twin boys. Julie started with ceramics in High School and continued to get a minor in ceramics from Syracuse University in 1995. Julie makes high fire stoneware and porcelain serving and dinnerware. Julie loves pattern and surface texture. Julie handbuilds all of her pieces. This allows Julie a freedom in form, and the ability to concentrate on the surface design. http://ThePottersCast.com/907

KuuPottery is a small batch pottery studio and learning space created by Kassandra "Kuu" Guzman. Each piece is made on the wheel with hand sculpted handles. Most know for The Curvy Amphora and Boinggg! Handles, Kuu has been featured on Showtime with @ziwef, Design Milk and The Freye Museum Shop. http://ThePottersCast.com/906

Jennifer Spring's goal is to make life more enjoyable with ceramics that feel great to touch and hold. Most of Jennifer's work goes through the filter of, "does the texture feel inviting?". Ceramics is one of few art forms that can be held and Jennifer is continually looking for opportunities to enhance the sense of touch. http://ThePottersCast.com/904

At Llanddona Beach Pottery Rhiannon and Paul Gash have a totally tactile and haptic studio. Rhiannon throws earthenware pots, glazed with oxide glazes that Paul and Rhiannon make together. Rhiannon is visually impaired. Guide-dog Bailey helps out around the studio. http://ThePottersCast.com/904