Brian R Jones | Brian R Jonescast | Episode 17

Posted on June 19, 2014June 19, 2014 by Paul Blais

Brian R. Jones grew up in Syracuse, NY and is now an artist living and working in Portland, OR. He has been a resident artist at Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, ME and The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, PA. He has earned degrees from The New York State College of Ceramics (BFA) and Southern Methodist University (MFA). He was a presenter at the Utilitarian Clay VI: Celebrate the Object at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in September 2012. In 2013, Jones was selected as an Emerging Artist by the National Council on the Education in the Ceramic Arts.Continue reading→

Linsey Reardon and Austen Sewell | The High School Show | Episode 16

Posted on June 17, 2014June 17, 2014 by Paul Blais

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

When asked when and where a person fell in love with pottery, many potters point back to a class in high school. So I thought it would be fun to go back to the roots and interview some potters that were still in that early stage of life and clay. I gathered together a couple high school students to talk about their love of clay.

Lindsey Reardon is a recent high school graduate that loves clay. Her dream is to become a doctor and keep her love as clay as a lifelong hobby.

Austen Sewell is a recent high school graduate that loves clay. His plan is to go to college and major in art and clay.

A plate by Lindsey

A Bowl by Austen

Continue reading→

Shino Takeda | Shino Takeda Ceramics | Episode 15

Posted on June 12, 2014June 12, 2014 by Paul Blais

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Shino Takeda grew up on Kyushu island in southern Japan. Kyushu has a rich history of ceramics and arts. Shino’s mother admired and collected both. When Shino was a child her family would travel all around Japan to look at different art shows and visit ceramic artists studios. Shino’s work is an appropriation of those more traditional Japanese art forms mixed with all the freshness of today’s New York City

All Shino’s work is hand-build and one of a kind that is searching for perfect imperfection, tracing memories, and making a story that connects the old to the new.Continue reading→

Justin Rothshank | Rothshank Artworks | Episode 14

Posted on June 10, 2014June 9, 2014 by Paul Blais

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Justin Rothshank on his plate!

Justin Rothshank is a studio ceramic artist working in Goshen, Indiana. His ceramic work has been exhibited and published internationally, including articles in Ceramics Monthly, American Craft, Studio Potter, The Log Book, and Neue Keramik. He has been a presenter, panelist, visiting artist, and artist-in-residence at numerous universities, schools, conferences, and art centers throughout the United States and abroad. Justin was presented with an Award of Excellence by the American Craft Council in February 2009.

This is part of his $10,000 set.

In 2007 he was recognized by Ceramics Monthly Magazine as an Emerging Artist. He has also been awarded an Alcoa Foundation Leadership Grant for Arts Managers, a 2007 Work of Art Award from Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, the 2005 Decade of Servant Leadership Award from Goshen College, and was named to Pittsburgh Magazine’s 40 under 40 in 2005.Continue reading→

Michelle Katz | Desert Dragon Pottery | Episode 13

Posted on June 5, 2014November 7, 2014 by Paul Blais

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Michelle “Mishy” Katz began working in clay in 1979 and currently co-owns Desert Dragon Pottery, the largest pottery school in Phoenix Arizona. She teaches many beginning students of all ages skills on the pottery wheel and hand-building, along with many various techniques in glazing. Her studio also offers space for accomplished clay artists to create original work. It has become quite an interesting eclectic community of studio members.Continue reading→

Joel Cherrico | Cherrico Pottery | Episode 12

Posted on June 3, 2014November 7, 2014 by Paul Blais

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Joel Cherrico is a 26 year old potter living in St. Joseph, Minnesota. He graduated from the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University in 2010, and immediately launched a small business after graduation. For the past 4 years, he has lived in the town of his alma matter, making a living as a full-time potter.Continue reading→

Paul Blais | Grow | Episode 11

Posted on May 29, 2014November 7, 2014 by Paul Blais

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Photo Credit: bloomgal via Compfight cc

Today’s show is all about growing your pottery business.

Key Idea

Get in front of the money.

Traditional Approach

The traditional approach to a pottery business has been weekend sales at your local farmer’s markets or craft fairs. You may have even had the option of doing your own studio sales. If you were diligent you could get your stuff on the shelves of local retail stores. Then, if your work was good enough, there was the option of getting into galleries. All of these, and few more, are still options today, but they are also very limited in their reach. You can only reach the people Continue reading→

Chris Vaughn | Christopher Vaughn Pottery | Episode 10

Posted on May 27, 2014July 5, 2014 by Paul Blais

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Christopher Vaughn Tea Pot Chris Vaughn is a Massachusetts native, living, working, and making in northern Vermont. Chris is the Studio Manager and an instructor of pottery and screen printing classes at the Burlington City Arts Clay and Print Studio, a community art space in Burlington, Vermont. His relationship with clay began in 2007, with an introductory wheel-throwing class during Christopher’s junior year at St. Michael’s College. He caught the clay bug and hasn’t looked back since.Continue reading→

Audra Doughty | Mud Queen Pottery | Episode 9

Posted on May 22, 2014May 22, 2014 by Paul Blais

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Born and raised in Del Rio, Texas, I’m a military wife with three children, three dogs & a cat. I’ve been working with clay for a little over 3 years, mostly wheel work in stoneware and sometimes porcelain. I make functional work because it’s personal, people touch it and use it everyday and I like that.Continue reading→

Tom Jaszczak | Episode 8

Posted on May 20, 2014November 7, 2014 by Paul Blais

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Tom received a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Art and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Bemidji State University. After graduating, Tom apprenticed at Mill Creek Pottery for a year and learned the process of wood firing. Most recently he started a Long Term residency at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT and has been focusing on developing a red earthenware soda fired body of work.Continue reading→