نویسنده: AliBina

Island Life Potters | Britt Whitaker & Craig Britton

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Britt Whitaker & Craig Britton | Episode 1082

Craig Britton & Brittany Whitaker are ceramic artists currently residing on San Juan Island, WA. Craig and Britt’s collaborative work is inspired by nature and often includes hand-painted flora & fauna motifs. However, Craig’s current body of work explores texture, materiality, and the creation process.

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What is the process of getting supplies out to you? There is no Georgie’s there so what’s it like?

Britt: You know, anytime we do a show in Seattle after we set up the booth one of us will make a run to a pottery supply store to kind of make up for the fact that shipping can be pretty expensive to get things sent here.

Does the tourist season make the rest of the year possible? Those short months in the summer?

Craig: Not usually. We tend to do shows in Seattle and surrounding cities in the wintertime. And do more things on our website and online to make up for those times.

What is something Britt, for you, that you can only get on the island and what is something that you cannot get on the island?

Britt: I guess for me one of the things that I love about living here is just although it is a small island there’s so many different trails that I can take the dog for a walk on year-round. It might be rainy in the winter, but I love that I can drive ten minutes in any direction and have a pretty beautiful trail to take the dog on.

How about something you can’t get on the island?

Britt: Let’s see, I guess food can be limited, although there are a lot of great local farms here and in the summer there’s so much fresh produce, it’s great. We are also spoiled having spent time in California where there is fresh produce year-round. Sometimes I notice the produce in the winter can be hard.

Craig what kind of packing is required to go to show from where you are to a Tacoma show? What is that like?

Craig: It’s usually about a week out we are getting ready for a show like that. We are getting all of our bins ready to hold all of the wares we are going to take because if you forgot something on the island, there’s no coming back. You can’t just pop back to the house to get something. So it’s a lot of preparation and just making sure we have everything we need before we leave the island.

Last question. Do you ever get Island fever?

Craig: No.

Britt: No, I guess the only thing that comes to mind is just missing the sunshine in the winter. That is the only time I feel like I want to get off the island, maybe mid-January and you haven’t seen the sun in what feels like a year. Other than that it is pretty manageable to be here.

Book

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Contact

livinglargesmall.com

Instagram: @livinglargesmall

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21/04/2025
It Kinda Just Happened | Natalie Miller

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Natalie Miller | Episode 1083

From her earliest memory Natalie Miller has loved making art. As a young adult Natalie took a break from art, focussing more on working with horses. In her mid 30’s Natalie was hit with an overwhelming drive to create again. Natalie started with pen drawings and painting, before taking her first pottery class at Station Gallery in Whitby. From the very first class she was hooked. It was everything I’d ever hoped it would be. Natalie is very much inspired by Mid Century Modern, Scandinavian design, clean lines, and bold colour palettes. Natalie lives with her partner and their two cats in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada.

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How important is timing that you just happened to get into it at the right time?

I think hugely important. I think it’s equal parts, I did work really, really hard at this. So it’s not entirely luck, I worked really hard, the timing lined up, and then luck. I think it’s equal parts of those three things.

How important is developing the skill so that you are lucky enough for life to happen the way you would want it to?

Hugely important. Because if you don’t have the skills when the luck strikes and the timing works out it’s not going to happen if you haven’t put in the time and the work to hone your skills and get good at it.

Is it important as you are developing your skills that you are putting yourself out there so that you can be found, so that you can be known?

I think if that’s your goal to be found and to be known well yeah, how else is anyone going to find you? I think. But if you are just trying to find yourself and hone your skills maybe you don’t need to do that.

What did you do when people started responding to you work? What did you do to respond to them? Was it quick and intentional, making sure that you are doing good “customer service”?

I worked my entire life in customer service. Every job that I have had until this one has been in customer service so I think it is just who I am at this point. So I am not trying or intentionally being any one way but part of my personality is just good customer service. (laughter)

There’s a saying. Rinse and repeat. Does that ever get tiresome, I am going to do this over again?

Thankfully not yet. I am hoping not for a while. Historically, yes, that does happen to me but so far, no, this is just a joy and I love it and I think there is enough variety within it that it keeps me interested.

How important is the love of your work from others to keep you motivated?

I don’t know. I have never stopped to think about that. I hope not that important but also I do depend on it to make a living. So I guess kind of important. (laughter) I would still do it without the love and recognition from others but I wouldn’t be able to do it as much because I would have to get a job again.

Is there a piece that you would like to make but you just haven’t had the gumption to actually do it yet?

A teapot. A stupid, stinking teapot. One day I am going to make a teapot. I just haven’t gotten around to trying it yet. Part of it is I haven’t made the time and part of it is it’s kind of intimidating, but that’s the first thing that comes to mind.

Book

David Sedaris Me Talk Pretty One Day

Contact

fledglingstudios.ca

Instagram: @fledglingstudios

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21/04/2025
Pottery Classes In A Distillery | Shaylise Sylvester | Episode 1084

Shaylise Sylvester is an artist who lives in Fairbanks, Alaska, where she was born and raised. Shaylise discovered her passion for ceramics during her undergraduate studies and has been honing her skills for three years now. Shaylise is currently exploring and studying the history of ceramics, looking at historical artifacts, and finding her voice through her work. Shaylise tends to focus on wheel throwing but also enjoys the freedom of form that hand-building allows. Shaylise work is primarily functional at the moment, and she is interested in the development and history of functional pots. She also enjoys the idea of creating a functional pot that is unique and beautiful in shape. Shaylise had taught ceramics in California and now teaches at a local community studio in Fairbanks. Shaylise is currently a ceramics student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and is preparing a portfolio for graduate school.

https://ThePottesCast.com/1084

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20/04/2025
10th Annual Art With Mr. E Summer Workshop

Are you looking for some fun & useful professional development?!? Come to the 10th Annual Art With Mr. E Summer Workshop!! We have teachers there that teach Pr-K – 12th grade!!

Contact me for more information.

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20/04/2025
The Value of Social Media | Tim Kowalczyk

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Tim Kowalczyk | Episode 1085

Tim Kowalczyk is back. Tim has been on The Potters Cast a few times over the years. This time he is back to talk about the importance of social media.

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How important is it to consider the market that we are trying to sell in?

That’s a rough one. I mean the market is important but if you look at most people’s cup values, like people you like, they are usually fifty and above and I think it depends on the style and the aesthetic that you have. So if you find someone who is matching your style and aesthetic that’s kind of where the price point starts.

So it’s not just researching who your audience is but understanding how your peers are doing it.

Yeah, there’s that whole thing that they talk about, if you want to be better at something, whatever it is, that you surround yourself with successful people. And that success brings on a challenge. There’s a reason Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were such big rivals because they were the head of the league at that time, right. They challenged each other, they pushed each other further. I think kind of the same thing in the arts is that we have to look at our peers to see where we are at. To find our finished point.

You mentioned on your Instagram to not sell seconds. Why does it matter?

I think it goes back to at least my philosophy of self-worth. Say I am making a painting, I am not going to sell a painting that has an apparent flaw that is apparent to you and I and say, Because this one has a hole in it I am going to sell it to you for cheaper. I wouldn’t put that out there. I would make a perfect one that represents my brand and me as a person and at that level of quality I want people to recognize and associate with me.

So you are saying, Therefore price your work consistently. Is that accurate?

Yeah! I just got a couple of emails in my inbox when I was waiting for the link for this talk. Why are we giving twenty percent off of our cups. Did we not give the same amount of effort into the cups that sat around? That we did initially? Like why are they twenty percent off now?

So you are saying by being consistent you are keeping value for all of your customers.

Correct. And then if I decide to up my prices, say I go from one hundred to one hundred and twenty at some point, that person who bought it for one hundred now has a one hundred and twenty dollar cup they can move if they run out of space in their collection or they have an emergency.

What is one thing a person can do to move towards better pricing?

Compare your work to your peers instead of what you think it is worth.

Contact

tims-ceramics.myshopify.com

Instagram: @timsceramics

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20/04/2025
Giving Your Art A Story | Paula Murray

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Paula Murray | Episode 1086

Paula Murray studied science at the University of Ottawa, Canada, ceramics at Sheridan College, and completed two residencies at the Banff Centre before embarking on a successful career. Elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (2006) and the International Academy of Ceramics (2017), she has received several Canada Council and CALQ grants for her distinctive work. Paula’s full-time studio practice is inspired by her close relationship with nature and the years spent sailing between Canada and South America while raising her two children. Her ongoing study of spiritual writings inspires many of the themes explored in her work.

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The story as it originates in you, did you discover the metaphors as you played with your ceramics, or did you work towards the idea because you had the idea in your head that you wanted to create the cracks and the brokenness?

I tend to think about an idea and write down words and then try to find what shape is that emotion. What does that look like in a form? That feeling that I am trying to express. And then ideas tend to build on each other and I think one of the most challenging things as a visual artist is that we are often asked to put things into words when our medium is visual art. I don’t want to shy away from that, but it is not an area that I have felt the most confident in. I am not really a natural storyteller. But I do like to tell stories with the work.

Do you give any prompts? Are you trying to guide people to your original intent?

I think by titling the work you are giving it a certain framework for people to approach it. I really enjoy having the opportunity to have direct conversations with people because I find conversation can go in very interesting ways. Very often when you work is presented at an exhibition or in a gallery it has to just stand on its own and people and people will have to respond. That’s always a question of all that’s going on in your head and is actually that getting through in the work? I think that’s something as artists we have to be asking ourselves.

When you see people interact with your work, do you tend to see that they catch the story?

Yes, very much so. Very much so, and often people will bring insights to me that I haven’t thought about it in those ways either.

When a patron purchases a piece and brings them into our own home are you able to give them some directions that could help them still capture the idea that’s behind it?

I think when someone gets to the point that they bring it into their own home they have taken ownership of that relationship. There is a conversation going on between them and that piece, that’s why they are bringing it into their home. That’s really special to me. I think that’s what we all aspire to.

Is there a piece that stands out to you as the piece that told your personal story better than any other piece?

I think the piece that I was referring to, the You are Me piece, was a very personal piece. I have done other installations that have been responses to a theme. I had an opportunity to go to the arctic and I did a piece called, Who is Speaking, Who is Listening. The You are Me piece was very personal because it does have to do with how I really firmly believe that we are connected to each other and are seamless.

Contact

paulamurray.ca

Instagram: @paulamurrayceramics

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20/04/2025
A Little Chaos | Michael Corney

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Michael Corney | Episode 1087

Michael Corney was raised in the greater Los Angeles Metropolitan area where he was influenced by the bright colors of nature and the vibrant cultures that surrounded him. Michael received his BA from Cal State University Fullerton and his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. While primarily a studio potter, Michael has taught workshops at Anderson Ranch, Penland School of Crafts and Santa Fe Clay. He has participated in shows at Santa Fe Clay (NM), Northern Clay Center (MN), The Schaller Gallery (MI) and Akar Design Gallery (IA) Michael is currently a working artist in San Miguel De Allende, Mexico!

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You have a BA and an MFA. Is education critical for an artist?

That kind of education? It all depends. For me it was because I did want to teach and we all know if you did want to teach at the college, whether it’s university or community college or even high school, you do need the MFA. So that was important for me. It was also important for me because if I had not gotten it any accolades along that way that I did not get I would say, Oh that’s because I didn’t go to college. Once I went to school and I didn’t get those accolades it’s like, No, dude, you just didn’t do very well.

How did teaching impact you as an artist? To give away your ideas to those behind you?

Well, it kind of solidified what was important to me. It kind of reminds me of when you are a young student and they make you do a description of your work, a summary of your work, an artist’s statement. It doesn’t matter to anyone else in my opinion, but it makes me, or you as the artist kind of define what you are trying to talk about, what you are trying to say.

You used to make your work inside of the States and now you are in Mexico. Has changing cultures influenced your expression as an artist?

You know, not really. And I say that only because I was really kind of engaged in this culture prior to moving down here. The artwork that I look at, whether it’s contemporary art or folk art or art of the people, it’s sort of what I was looking at before. And now that I am here I just feel comfortable being here.

How do you put work out about your story with vulnerability but also with a sense I don’t want you to be too close? And keep privacy?

You kind of can’t get away from that, you know, everything as an artist is…I would say, everything is a self-portrait.

Have you found a favorite place to have down time or restaurant where you are now as a couple?

Actually we have. For us, a part of me liking Mexico is I love the food. We call it food here, not Mexican food because we are in Mexico. My big complaint has been, I live in a very touristy town, it’s sort of like the Sante Fe, New Mexico is what San Miguel is. So there’s lots of fancy restaurants but we found this garage, it’s a family every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, sets up their grill and their deep fryer and they make tacos and stuff like that, and that’s what I like. The street food, the taco stand on the corner, that’s what I like, that’s what she likes, and that’s our special thing here.

Contact

michaelcorney.com

Instagram: @michaelcorneyware

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19/04/2025
Fitting Pottery Into A Busy Life | Auguste Yung

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Auguste Yung | Episode 1088

Auguste Yung is a half-Chinese, half-Swedish ceramicist working out of Los Angeles California. Auguste melds wheel throwing and hand building to create unique textures and forms inspired by nature. Despite a winding path that included studying international relations and then working in TV development, Auguste found his true passion when he stumbled upon ceramics during the pandemic.

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How important is it to set aside time where that is when I do ceramics?

Oh, I mean so important. We all know it takes a long time from start to finish to make any pieces but I think for me it’s easy to do that. Pottery never feels like work, it’s just something that I love doing in my free time. If I am not doing anything else that’s what I want to be doing. I want to be at the studio.

How important is it to have the clay and resources readily available for you to be able to do it at the drop of the hat?

Yeah, like you said, with a really busy schedule everything else has to be set up so I can just quickly sit down and start working. Because sometimes I will only have 45 minutes or an hour to throw a couple of pieces and I feel like I am under the clock. So I almost have two sets of tools. I have my home set and my studio set and they stay right there at the wheel ready to go. Same with the clay. I try to do as much prep as I can so I can be ready to go at the drop of a hat.

Does that mean you are keeping your supplies readily accessible also? Do you keep an inventory available at all times?

Well, it’s not so much an inventory. At home I just have a couple of bags and I am also recycling clay. I usually have a schedule and if I am starting to run out of clay I will put this out on the board and that will dry in time. And at the community center where I go they just have a big clay room where I can buy clay.

How important is it to have things in process?

My process is a little chaotic honestly. Where at any given point I have things that need to be bisqued, I have things that need to be glazed, I have things that need to be trimmed, and there are the things that I want to throw. So I feel like at any given time I have pieces that are at every stage that need to be tended to. So no matter what it always feels like if I cant think of something that I want to do in terms of throwing I know I have things I need to glaze or things I have to trim. There’s something to do no matter what.

Has community been at all important to the development of your ceramics?

The community has been so huge and so important. I mean some of my best friends now are people that I met at the studio and we see each other outside of the studio all the time and we hang out. Just being at the studio as well, you gain so much from having other people around you.

How important is the response of your audience as a motivator for you to keep at it?

I mean, it’s been such a nice thing to have truly, the positive response to when I started posting on social media and stuff. And you know, every once in a while I will get a random DM saying, Hey I just wanted to say I really love your work and I love watching your videos. It really means so much to get a message like that. In day to day life I am not getting that so much at work. You know, you might get a good job or whatever, but you are not getting a message that says, That thing you are doing, I really like it and it’s really inspiring. I would be doing pottery if no one ever watched it but it’s really affirming and heartwarming when people say, I really like what you are doing that’s really cool.

Book

Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides

North Woods Daniel Mason

Contact

augusteyung.com

Instagram: @augusteyung

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19/04/2025
Creativity In Minnesota | David Swenson

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David Swenson | Episode 1089

David Swenson is ceramist and instructor from Clearwater, MN. In 2009, David moved to Minnesota from Rhode Island, and works in the Twin Cities area teaching workshops and ceramics in community education. David’s work is embellished with motifs and techniques inspired by history, folk arts, textiles, and medieval art, while maintaining a modern aesthetic.

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Number 1 brand in America for a reason. Skutt.com

For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com

Tools you find indispensable. Mudtools.com

Do you make based on a schedule or do you wait until you are inspired?

I try to do both. (laughter) It’s hard to force it but deadlines are deadlines so you gotta do what you gotta do, right? But it’s always better for me to wait, if I can.

Do you have cues to help you feel creative or be in a creative mood?

It’s usually in-between 10 and 4 am. I am nocturnal by nature and that is just when my brain starts working. So if I can work kind of later I’ll be a lot more productive. I feel like I can focus.

Do you have exercises outside of the studio that helps you keep a creative mind-set?

Yeah, I try to look at a lot of museum collections, look at old things. I like to look at old hardware, you know, door hinges and things that are decorative right now. And playing music, I think, has helped me in terms of thinking about the composition. A lot of the times I will abstract the surface designs I am working with into something that feels like a musical composition for me. So there are parallels between the different creative practices.

I am curious about how you balance creativity with practicality, you are, after all, making functional ware.

A lot of the times, yeah. I am starting to deviate a little bit more. I have been focusing on functional stuff since I started decorating on things. And so the more crazy the shape is the harder it is to paint on and the more speed bumps there are for my brush, so things got a little bit more simple when I started doing that.

What’s got you really stoked in the studio right now?

I have been kind of playing with the idea of reliquaries again. Really ornate kind of storage items that channel some history that might be in a sacred place or an altar, but trying to incorporate some of the sculpture back into what I have been doing lately which is primarily functional things.

What kind of support is needed in life for you to be the best artist you can be? To be the most inspired or creative?

You know, time is invaluable. And having the time…I have been really fortunate since we moved up here to have a lot of time and space for the work. We bought our studio from Bob Briscoe in 2019 when he retired and I don’t see a lot of people all the time any more and that’s kind of weird for my social stuff. But I have a lot more time to kind of focus and it’s sort of monastic. You know, I can kind of meditate and focus on what’s there in front of me and it’s good and bad (laughter) for a number of reasons, but I think that the time has been really helpful for me.

Book

Bestiary

Contact

swenwares.wixsite.com/swenwares

Instagram: @swenwares

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19/04/2025
He Made A Robot And A Combination Lock | Benjamin Cornelius

Do you have a favorite time of day that helps you be a better maker?

I actually have a couple of answers to that question. During the midday I feel like I am the most productive when it comes down to just getting down and doing stuff. But I think I am the most creative at night, like I am trying to go to bed and my brain is just buzzing with ideas.

Does being in a studio with other makers inspire you or motivate you more as opposed to working alone in a private studio?

I definitely feel like when you are in a shared space you feel more obligation to get stuff done. You see other people working, you want to work too. You also get to see what other people are doing and get inspired by them and want to keep making. I definitely think it’s more advantageous and more creatively inspiring to be with people.

Does being maker impact or influence other areas of your life?

I definitely think it influences other areas of my life. When I bake I tend to want to be little more creative and when I explore and change up the recipe and look up new recipes. I am taking in more visual information and thinking about how the things I see can influence my art.

How do you go about developing your art skills?

I mostly develop them by getting in the studio and working. I have had so many failed attempts and I’ve just had to push myself in order to improve my skills.

Why is the mechanical portion of making a lock or a robot more interesting to you than say making a mug?

I think it’s just more interesting than making mug because I see so many mugs and I don’t know if I could make a better mug than other people. Doing the mechanical side of ceramics I feel like it’s far more novel and there’s not a lot of people doing it and I get to fail and make mistakes and iterate on my designs. I think that is something so special to do.

Outside of the studio what do you do for fun?

I’d say I play a lot of games, that’s the main thing that I do. I read and I bake.

What do you bake?

There’s a lot of things but I am best known for my cinnamon rolls. I get a lot of compliments on those.

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18/04/2025