Author Archive: Paul Blais

Working With a Designer | Forrest Middelton, Erin McGuiness, Lane McNab | Episode 424

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Forrest Middelton, Erin McGuiness, Lane McNab | Episode 424

Forrest Middelton, Erin McGuiness, Lane McNab, & Paul Blais

When I was teaching a workshop at Clay by the Bay in San Francisco, a couple ceramic artist and a designer got together with me to talk about what it would look like for ceramicists to team up with designers to help promoter ceramic work. Our two artist were Forrest Middelton and Erin McGuiness and our designer was Lane McNab. All three of our guests work in and around the Bay area.

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Looking for the Sweet Spot | Brooke Peiffer | Episode 423

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Brooke Peiffer | Episode 423

Brooke Peiffer is a lifelong Michigan resident.  Brooke recieved her BFA from Michigan State University, where she discovered a love of clay.  Brooke’s functional work is inspired by the richly textured forests, plants, and beaches of her home state, whereas Brooke’s sculptural work stems from her own internal narrative.  Brooke passes her love of clay on to her students, as a teacher of high school ceramics for the last 16 years.

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A Maker & Manufacturer | Todd Wahlstrom | Episode 422

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Todd Wahlstrom | Episode 422

Todd Wahlstrom lives in Whitingham, Vermont with his wife, and potter, Aysha Peltz and their two daughters. Aysha and Todd share a detached studio building a short walk from their home. Todd’s work time is split between making and selling pots and operating StudioPro, a small manufacturing business designing and producing throwing bats and other tools for potters.

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Focusing Your Message | Lyndsay Meiklem Dean | Episode 421

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Lyndsay Meiklem Dean | Episode 421

Lyndsay Meiklem Dean is, The Vegan Potter. Lyndsay discovered her passion for clay the moment she sat down at a potter’s wheel more than two decades ago. Lyndsay is the owner of Meiklem Kiln Works, which for the past 15 yrs, has offered community clay and art classes to all ages. Lyndsay is a full-time-working potter and instructor who is passionate about sharing her love for the medium with others. Her work can be found in more than a dozen retailers in the US, Canada, and as well as in Lyndsay’s online shop. Lyndsay works with stoneware clay and a variety of glazes to create functional pottery for the everyday foodie.

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Preparation for Disaster | Cornelia Carey | Episode 420

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Cornelia Carey | Episode 420

Cornelia Carey has served as the executive director of CERF+ since 1995. She is the co-Chair and founding member of the National Coalition for Arts Preparedness and Emergency Response, an initiative to improve emergency preparedness and response in the arts sector. Before her tenure at CERF+, Cornelia ran programs supporting artists and cultural institutions at the Vermont Arts Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. She has served on boards and review panels for foundations, state arts councils, and the National Endowment for the Arts. She lives with her husband and daughter on their farm in Calais, VT.

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An Episode on Handbuilders | Maryan & Dan Pelland | Episode 419

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Maryan & Dan Pelland | Episode 419

Maryan Pelland is a former professional writer. She went over to the clay side six years ago and never turned back. She and husband/partner, Dan, a photographer/engineer, make work in their home studio, work in a community studio, and publish an online magazine for potters, Handbuilders Monthly.

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A Dinē Nation Artist | Bob Lansing | Episode 418

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Bob Lansing | Episode 418

Bob Lansing is a contemporary traditional potter of the Dinē Nation. Bob’s pottery is thrown on the wheel and then coated with layers of colored slip. Each piece is etched with Bob’s designs that help express traditional stories with a contemporary flare.

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A Community Center Making a City Better | Kameron Robinson | Episode 417

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Kameron Robinson | Episode 417

Kameron Robinson is the Director of East Side Studios, an art studio in Anderson, Indiana that focuses on workshops, studio spaces, and community engagement. Through his work at East Side Studios, Kameron develops original artwork, teaches ceramic workshops, invests in the studios artists at the space, and works on community initiatives.

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The Voice Needs to be Heard | Sebastian Moh | Episode 416

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Sebastian Moh | Episode 416

Sebastian Moh was raised on a small farm in Batu Pahat, Malaysia. Sebastian’s first exposure to the actual shaping of raw clay was in a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur, Sebastian had witnessed a demonstration on the wheel and it planted the seed. From that point Sebastian paid close attention to the ceramic arts. Eventually Sebastian was able to move to the United State to attend school where he received a degree in product design and had the opportunity to take ceramic classes as an elective. After working in hospitality for a few years Sebastian decided to pursue the vision that had formed so strongly as a youth. The essence of Sebastian’s work is to create a visual interest that will trigger an aesthetic response. The vessels articulate a rhythm that appeals to an abstract of universal human emotion. Art is an articulated arrangement of a profound idea. “To create is divine, I just rearrange”, says Sabastian. His simple goal is to make good work.

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The Community of Making | Troy Bungart | Episode 415

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Troy Bungart | Episode 415

Troy Bungart is a multi-talented artist. His first love is working with clay. Troy likes to start out with a simple form and then add texture and images. Troy’s love of clay is also expressed in his love of the tools used for making pottery. His handmade wooden tools are works of art in and of themselves. Troy’s also makes custom brushes that are perfect for making gestural markings on his work. And best of all, Troy is my friend.

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