Today on the show I talk with Malene Barnett. Her multimedia career spans design, studio art, and activism focusing on the influence and aesthetics of the black diaspora. In our interview we talk about designing textiles and interiors, taking a sabbatical to dive deep into ceramics, and founding the Black Artists + Designers Guild, a collective aimed at building equitable and inclusive creative culture. For more visit www.malenebarnett.com. Next week on the show we will broadcast a panel...

Today on the show I talk with Jane Bamford. She creates ceramic sculptures and environmental prosthesis that are placed in nature to help rebalance the Australian ecosystem. In our interview we talk about the pressure climate change is putting on the Tasmanian landscape, working with scientists to create environmental design, and how her motivation for art making has changed over time. To see examples of her work visit www.janebamford.com.   Today’s episode is brought to you by the...

Today on the show I talk with sculptor Cammie Staros. From her studio in L.A. she blends Helenic aesthetics with modernism in her ceramic, neon, and stone work. Her series of black figure terracotta vessels move and bend like a wavy mirage from ancient Athens captured in the present moment. In our interview we talk about the influence of classical Greek ceramics, her love of precarity, and her series of submerged vessels. To see examples of her work visit www.cammiestaros.com. Thanks to...

Today on the show I talk with artist and Plinth gallery owner Jonathan Kaplan. Over more than fifty years in ceramics he has worked as a studio potter, manufacturer of commercial ceramics, and gallery owner. In our interview we talk about investing in yourself, knowing when change is needed to avoid burnout, and how Kaplan approaches geometric forms through mold making. His book The Mold-Making Manual weaves personal narrative into practical mold making skills and was just released by the...

Today on the show I talk with artist and educator Lauren Sandler. In her current body of work she drapes stacked vessels with beads, beans, and other objects to tell broader economic and cultural narratives. In our interview we talk about her anthropological approach to materials, adornment through accumulation, and mentoring students at the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, PA, where she is an assistant professor. For more information visit www.laurensandlerstudio.com.   I’m excited to...

Today on the show I talk with author, activist, and artist Yuliya Makliuk. She recently published Potters Save the World: Learn to make sustainable ceramics and help protect the Earth. Our interview focuses on understanding the carbon footprint of ceramic production and materials. In addition to sustainability, we also discuss Yuliya’s experience living through war in Ukraine. For more information follow @hereandnowpottery on Instagram.   I’m excited to have a live taping of the show at...

Today on the show I talk with three members of Clay Matters, an Australian group that advocates sustainable environmental practices in ceramic studios. Jane Sawyer, Claire Ellis, and Amelia Black talk about reusing ceramic waste and building awareness of where ceramics materials are sourced. Clay Matters will have an exhibition at the Linden Projects Space, St. Kilda that opens on February 23rd. For more information visit claymatters.com.au.   Today’s episode is brought to you by the...

Today on the show my wife Melissa joins me for a listener mailbag. We give a few life updates before answering questions about how to price time consuming work, and ways we can create joy in difficult times. To help us celebrate our 500th episode donate $5 on Paypal, or become a patron on Patreon. Many thanks for listening along the way and for supporting the show.

Today on the show we have a live recording that happened at the 2023 New Clay Conference in Ottawa, ON. The show features presenters Martina Lantin, Zoe Pinnell, Marina Lespérance Lopez, as well as my cohosts Carole Epp and Marianne Chenard from The Kiln Sitters. We discuss the high-risk high-reward nature of ceramics, finding work/life balance as a parent, and the vibrant state of the Canadian ceramic community. A big thanks to Kaitlyn Brennan for organizing the conference and to the...

Didem Mert combines collage and illustration to build dense layers of printed images, patterns, and color. In our interview we talk about the importance of spontaneous play in the studio, diversifying income streams, and using selfcare to find emotional balance. To see examples of her work visit www.didemmert.com.   Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: The Rosenfield Collection of Functional Ceramic Art www.Rosenfieldcollection.com Bray Clay www.archiebrayclay.com

Today on the show I have a double episode. We start by talking to podcast host Rebecca Ickes Carra about joining the Brickyard Podcast Network. Her podcast The Makers Playbook focuses on the business of art and “what it’s really like to make a living from the things we make.” Season five of the podcast launches next week with an interview with Archie Bray Foundation director Rebecca Harvey. Subscribe to The Maker's Playbook now on your favorite podcast app. In the second part of our...

Today on the show I talk with Kyungmin Park. In our interview we talk about how an early interest in animation led her to figure sculpture, how she approaches identity through the work, and settling down in Massachusetts after moving fifteen times in the eighteen years she has lived in the United States. Park is an Associate Professor at Endicott College in Beverly, MA. To see examples of her work visit www.kyungminpark.com.   As we head into the new year, we are having a comment drive....

Today on the show I talk with Brad Schwieger. He has recently retired from Ohio University, where he helped guide the ceramic program for over thirty years. In our interview we talk about creating a rigorous learning environment, using subtractive methods to find form, and transitioning to full time studio work in retirement. In the interview we also talk about the design of his studio, which you can find out more about in the December 2022 Studio Visit in Ceramics Monthly at...

Today on the show I talk with Matt Katz, who along with his wife Rose, is one of the co-founders of Ceramics Materials Workshop. They offer online classes in ceramics chemistry, which are utilized by artists and students around the world. In our interview we talk about his path from maker to researcher, how to make chemistry exciting for students, and the podcast For Flux Sake, which Matt is cohost on. For more information visit www.ceramicmaterialsworkshop.com or...

Today on the show I talk with sculptor Kim Dickey. She uses the structures and flora of the garden as a springboard to create large-scale sculpture and installation. In our interview we talk about her use of brocage, the feminist claiming of space through ornamentation, and her recent solo show Auguries at the Robischon Gallery in Denver, CO. To see examples of her work visit www.kimdickeystudio.com. Dickey is a Professor of Art at the University of Colorado Boulder.   Hey Red Clay Rambler...

Today on the show I welcome back Doug Peltzman. A few years ago he made a major shift in his studio practice, essentializing his approach to surface design to create a new aesthetic. In our interview we talk about following the kernel of an idea, and re-engaging his customers after a major change in the studio. To see examples of his work visit www.dougpeltzman.com.   Hey Red Clay Rambler Fans, for the month of December I’m having a merch sale, including our brand new long sleeve t-shirt...

Today on the show I welcome back Naomi Dalglish and Michael Hunt. In our interview we talk about the themes in their exhibition Endless Ground now on display at the Penland Gallery. The exhibition features figure sculpture, a large-scale slip painting, and collections of vessels that are decorated with slips and wax resist decoration. To see the exhibition visit www.penland.org/gallery.   Hey Red Clay Rambler Fans, for the month of December I’m having a merch sale, including our brand new...

Today on the show I talk with Trevor Daugherty and Justin Rothshank, cofounders of the Northern Indiana Clay Alliance. The group has over sixty members and organizes a variety of ceramics programing in the region, including the Michiana Pottery Tour. In our interview we talk about the process of founding a nonprofit, ceramics in the Michiana region, and fundraising for new organizations. For more information visit www.indianaclay.org.   Today’s episode is brought to you by the following...

Today on the show I talk with Dirk Staschke. His recent work draws from Dutch Vanitas paintings, often incorporating ceramic frames that are portals into the inner world of the sculpture. In our interview we talk about exploring dark humor and beauty simultaneously, and having the patience for new ideas to solidify over time. To see examples of his work visit www.artdirk.com.   Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:   AMACO Brent www.amaco.com The Bray...

Today on the show I talk with Jonathan Christensen Caballero. He pays homage to local Latino histories through his mixed media sculptures. In our interview we talk about his interest in local history, the practical aspects of showing large scale sculptures, and his blend of fibers and ceramics. For more information visit www.jcc-sculpture.com.   Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:   AMACO Brent www.amaco.com The Bray www.archiebray.org The Rosenfield Collection...

Today on the show I talk with Haakon Lenzi. A life-long New Yorker, Haakon makes slipware pots from his studio in East Harlem. In our interview we talk about marbleizing slip on the surface of a pot, sustaining a career in the city, and the value of community building through sales and tours. Haakon has participated in the Hudson Valley Pottery tour since its beginning. You can find him this weekend October 21st and 22nd as a guest of Doug Peltzman for the 7th annual HVP tour....

Today on the show I talk with Catherine White. Her wood fired vessels incorporate firing patterns from her anagama kiln and text from poetry that she monoprints with ash onto the pot’s surfaces. In our interview we talk about her triumvirate of painting, pottery, and movement, as well as, learning the geography of a wood kiln. To see examples of her work visit www.catherinewhite.com.   This episode concludes with an excerpt from the panel discussion “The Thread you Follow” from the last NC...

Today on the show I talk with Bryan Hopkins. You probably know him from his exquisite porcelain vessels, but you might not have guessed some of those forms are made from low-fire porcelain. In our interview we talk about formulating low-fire translucent porcelains and how he uses a neodymium grate magnet to create speck free clay bodies. To see examples of his work visit www.hopkinspottery.com.   Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: AMACO Brent www.amaco.com The...

Today on the show I talk with Alex Thullen. In his role as ceramic materials engineer at Pewabic Pottery he maintains their line of glazes, including iridescent lusters. In our interview we talk about the mechanics of luster, how the timing of reduction effects glazes, and how his work continues research that dates back to the early 1900’s when Mary Chase Perry Stratton started the pottery in Detroit, MI. Listen back to episode 204 for more history on one of America’s oldest pottery...