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Lukas Easton | Episode 534
Lukas Easton is from Homer Alaska. Lukas recieved his BFA from the university of Alaska anchorage. Lukas is currently teaching at the Rochester institute of technology and is an independent designer for Jenggala in Bali Indonesia. In the summers Lukas works in Alaska commercial fishing and this fall will be attending Alfred university for graduate school.
Lukas is doing an internship with Peter Pincus and he is loving it!!! I took the opportunity to grill Lukas on what are his personal takeaways from this mentor relationship that he has with such an accomplished artist. To listen in to this conversation, click HERE.
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Rhonda Willers | Episode 533
terra sigillata surface filled with raw grolleg kaolin, photo credit: Jessie Ann Wade
Focusing on fragility and subtle strength, Rhonda Willers creates art with repetitive forms and markings reflecting on memories and nature through diverse materiality. Rhonda is the author of Terra Sigillata: Contemporary Techniques. Rhonda studied at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (BFA) and University of Nebraska-Lincoln (MFA). Rhonda is a studio artist, author, mother, and NCECA Board Steward located in Elk Mound, Wisconsin.
Echo I, coil built earthenware, terra sigillata, cone 03 soda fired, photo credit: Larry Gawel
Many people have that desire of writing a book, but what is that process like? Rhonda Willers walks us through the process of how to pick the topic and what steps she took to complete the book. I love that the glamour of writing a book is taken away through this discussion and she just gets practical and lets us know what she did. If you would like to listen in to this bonisode, then click HERE.
Anja talks through what it looks like to be a production potter. Part of the work is just putting the head down and getting the work done regardless of feelings. She also talks about how to balance creativity and “selling out” and how there is a real way to look at that “conflict”. This is a real life look at making it all happen. To listen in to this bonisode by clicking HERE.
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Anja Bartels | Episode 532
Originally from Hamburg, Germany, stencil artist Anja Bartels discovered pottery making while living in an intentional community in Virginia. Passion ignited, Anja returned home to study in the German Ceramics Guild, which honed her skills in a way much different from the typical experience in American art schools. With a strong focus on craftsmanship and technical skill, Guild training provided Anja with the groundwork for making a quality product paired with the practical experience of working with a master potter for three years. The apprentices must engage in all aspects of the business, including marketing, sales, accounting, and production.
Anja’s nautically themed porcelain employs several different techniques including slip trailing, sgraffito (a technique where underglaze is painted onto greenware and a design is carved back through, revealing the clay body underneath), poured and sprayed glazes, and a unique resist technique used in the making of her beautiful urchin bowls. These bowls are thrown and trimmed on the wheel, then several thousand small slip-trailed spikes are applied using a surgical bulb while she listens to audiobooks about shipwrecks. Anja’s personal aesthetic and process are consistent and highly developed, reflecting her upbringing in a port town and her love of ships and the ocean. It is as if her pieces were born in the sea.
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Sharrel Paul | Episode 531
Sharrel Paul was born and raised in a suburb of Boston, MA, but moved to California in her mid-20s. Sharrel decided to move back home in 2013 when she was diagnosed with stage 3/4 metastatic melanoma. Sharrel discovered ceramics in 2014 when she decided to take a class at a local studio as a form of “art therapy” while she was undergoing treatment. Sharrel fell in love with making functional pieces very quickly and then started her journey on Instagram to be able to sell her work and crocheted items.
One of the things that so many people are trying to figure out is how do you grow your Instagram followers. Granted, growing the number of followers is just one piece of the puzzle, but it is definitely a piece that is critical. Sharrel gives some insights on her Instagrowth. To check out this 17th Patreon installment, click HERE.
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Benedicte & Jerome Leclere | Episode 530
Benedicte and Jerome Leclere recently left Brooklyn to find a better life balance and spend more time making ceramics. Relocating upstate New York near Woodstock, they just launched their brand called l’Impatience. Both originally from France and always on the look out for new objects to create, the name refers to the eagerness and expectation behind every project (pronounced ‘Lum-puh-see-unce’’). Their style is mainly defined by their tableware collections, elegant and minimalistic, that people can simply appreciate every day. They also enjoy making unique pieces such as vases and bonsai pots, a jewelry collection or even limited clothing items.
When I see the definition of Marketing, I don’t find myself inspired. Even though it is something that I really want to do well and figure out. But, if when I talk to people that are doing it and rocking it, I get highly inspired and start to think that I can do it. This is what it is like talking to Benedicte and Jerome- I feel like I can do marketing. They have some great insights to share in this bonisode. To listen in to this conversation, click HERE.