Tales of a Red Clay Rambler: A pottery and ceramic art podcast

By Ben Carter

What's Tales of a Red Clay Rambler: A pottery and ceramic art podcast about?

Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast features weekly interviews with ceramic artists from around the world. Host Ben Carter talks with potters, sculptors, and designers about their creative practice. www.talesofaredclayrambler.com

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Tales of a Red Clay Rambler: A pottery and ceramic art podcast episodes:

05.14.2024
511: Fund Drive: Stephanie Seguin on tactile learning
Stephanie Seguin is a functional potter based in Helena, MT, where she makes table and service ware. She is also the education manager at the Archie Bray Foundation where she has helped shape the education program as the organization has...
05.10.2024
510: Fund Drive: Judi Tavill on blending drawing with sculpture
Judi Tavill has had a broad career in the arts starting in fashion and now creating biomorphic ceramic sculpture. In our interview we talk about her career in fashion, blending drawing with sculpture, and preparing for her upcoming solo show...
05.02.2024
509: Fund Drive: Brian Chen on the anatomy of his forms
Today on the show I talk with Brian Chen. He makes sculptural and functional forms that reference architecture and biomechanics. In our interview we talk about how a tennis injury led him to study anatomy, creating sculptures that nest within...
04.26.2024
508: Clay Roots: Exploring Ceramics Across the Black Diaspora with Malene Barnett, Lydia Thompson, Ashlyn Pope, and David Macdonald
Join guest host Malene Barnett as she talks with Lydia Thompson, Ashlyn Pope, and David Macdonald about the rich tapestry of ceramics across the Black Diaspora. From the ancestral lands of Africa, to the vibrant Caribbean and the diverse cultures...
04.18.2024
507: Malene Barnett on blending design and studio art
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, taking a sabbatical to...
04.11.2024
506: Jane Bamford on using ceramics to support ecosystems
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...
03.29.2024
505: Cammie Staros on the power of precarity in sculpture
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...
03.14.2024
504: Jonathan Kaplan on investing in yourself
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...
03.07.2024
503: Lauren Sandler on the unseen narratives of material culture
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...
02.29.2024
502: Yuliya Makliuk on understanding the carbon footprint of ceramics
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...
02.21.2024
501: A collective approach to sustainability with Clay Matters
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...
02.14.2024
500: Celebrating 500 with a listener mailbag
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...
02.08.2024
499: Live from the New Clay Conference!
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...
01.31.2024
498: Didem Mert on the importance of play in creativity
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....
01.26.2024
497: Michael Middleton on collecting with special guest Rebecca Ickes Carra
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...
01.18.2024
496: Kyungmin Park on a multifaceted approach to the figure
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...
01.11.2024
495: Brad Schwieger on using subtractive methods to find form
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...
01.04.2024
494: Matt Katz on understanding ceramic chemistry
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...
12.21.2023
493: Kim Dickey on the power of ornamentation
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...
12.07.2023
492: Doug Peltzman on nourishing the kernel of a new idea
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...
11.30.2023
491: Naomi Dalglish and Michael Hunt on Endless Ground
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...
11.16.2023
490: Daugherty and Rothshank on starting a nonprofit
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....
11.09.2023
489: Dirk Staschke on uncanny realism
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...
10.26.2023
488: Jonathan Christensen Caballero on mining local histories for his work
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...
10.18.2023
487: Haakon Lenzi on marbleizing slip
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...
10.12.2023
486: Catherine White on monoprinting with wood ash
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...
10.03.2023
485: Bryan Hopkins on low-fire porcelain
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...
09.28.2023
484: Alex Thullen on iridescent luster glazes
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...
09.21.2023
483: Renata Cassiano on literature, portals, and intuition
Today on the show I talk with Renata Cassiano. Her ceramic sculptures are non-objective accumulations often dealing with ideas of connection and translation. In our interview we talk about reusing older work to create new forms, using a concrete saw...
09.14.2023
482: Paul Andrew Wandless on a unified style across mediums
Today on the show I talk with Paul Andrew Wandless. His multidisciplinary career includes sculpture, print making, leather work, and ceramics. In our interview we talk about labor as subject matter, establishing a style across multiple mediums, and the influence...
09.06.2023
481: Amy Sanders and Gleidymar Rivera on making a living as an emerging artist
Today on the show I talk with Amy Sanders and Gleidymar Rivera. They were chosen for the AVPT Early Career Fellowship for BIPOC Ceramic Artists, a program started this year to provide financial support and mentorship. In our interview we...
08.30.2023
480: Lucy Fagella on embracing studio cycles
Today on the show I talk with Lucy Fagella. She makes a variety of functional pots from her Western Massachusetts studio, including pots for the kitchen and a line of memorial urns. In our interview we talk about the cycles...
08.25.2023
479: Glenn Barkley on his book Ceramics: An Atlas of Forms
Today on the show I talk with Glenn Barkley about his new book Ceramics: An Atlas of Forms. He chooses 113 objects in the collections of major Australian and New Zealand museums to establish a broad survey of ceramic history....
08.17.2023
478: Brickyard Network 2nd Anniversary with Michael Kline and Adrienne Eliades
Today on the show we have a special episode to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the Brickyard Network. To raise money for the network, sixteen artists have donated work for an auction and fundraiser. Two of those kind folks, Michael...
08.09.2023
477: Adam Chau on using A.I.
Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with artist, curator, and podcaster Adam Chau. We talk about using artificial intelligence to generate faux historical images, and how this work might reshape the way we think...
08.03.2023
476: Frank James Fisher on establishing a visual language
Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Frank James Fisher. His work in advertising as a graphic designer has influenced his use of text and printing in his ceramics work. In our interview we...
07.29.2023
475: Anika Major on her approach to painting the figure
Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Seattle artist Anika Major. Her pottery features paintings of female figures created with subtle layers of watered-down underglazes. She says of the work, “Each character is a...
07.20.2023
474: Linda Sikora on teaching
Today on the show we have part two of an interview with renowned ceramic artist and educator Linda Sikora. We talk about the philosophy of education at Alfred University, helping students progress through their own expectations, and being in a...
07.14.2023
473: Linda Sikora on the concepts of service, storage, and display
Today on the show we have the first in a two-part interview with renowned ceramic artist and educator Linda Sikora. We talk about growing up in Canada, her path to being a potter, and how the concepts of service, storage,...
07.06.2023
472: Sculptor Janina Myronova on building momentum in the studio
Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have the final installment of a mini-series featuring current artists-in-residence at the Archie Bray Foundation. In this episode I talk with Janina Myronova about the narratives and characters that are...
06.29.2023
471: Maura Wright on her portrayal of beauty rituals in Midwest Sweat
Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Maura Wright. Her recent exhibition Midwest Sweat at the Jane Hartsook Gallery in NYC, takes a humorous and critical look at feminine self-care products and rituals. In...
06.23.2023
470: Simphiwe Mbunyuza on developing potent references to Xhosa culture in his sculpture
Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Simphiwe Mbunyuza. Through his large-scale sculptures, he references the landscape of the eastern cape region of South Africa where he grew up. In our interview...
06.16.2023
469: Heidi Fahrenbacher on her formula for pricing
Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Heidi Fahrenbacher. She runs Bella Joy Pottery in Plainwell, MI making multiple lines of functional pottery. In our interview we talk about her circuitous path to being...
06.10.2023
468: Rosti Eismont on blending a career in clay and graphic design
Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Rosti Eismont. For decades he was an art director and graphic designer for major magazines, including over thirty years at Studio Potter. Parallel to his career in...
05.25.2023
467: Fund Drive: Pete Pinnell on re-finding your voice
Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Pete Pinnell. Pinnell is a long-time ceramic artist who has engaged the community through his numerous articles for Clay Times and his work as a professor at...
05.18.2023
466: Fund Drive: Anat Shiftan on the human perception and distortion of nature
Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Anat Shiftan. Her sculptures incorporate floral elements that are precariously arranged as a metaphor for the human perception of nature and our impact on the environment. In...
05.11.2023
465: Fund Drive: Lauren Mabry on pushing the boundaries of glaze
Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Philadelphia sculptor Lauren Mabry. Her minimalist sculptures are surfaced with vibrant glazes that melt to both conceal and reveal their underlying forms. In our interview we talk...
05.07.2023
464: Fund Drive: Sergei Isupov on his surrealistic sculptures
Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Sergei Isupov. Through his unique blend of figure sculpture and drawing he investigates the internal and external forces that shape human relationships. In our interview we...
04.21.2023
463: Meet the Parents: Courtney Martin and John Geci
Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have the sixth installment in a series of interviews about parenting. For the series I invite artist couples to talk with each other about finding balance between creative work and life...
04.13.2023
462: Meet the Parents: Mallory Wetherell and Matt Ziemke
Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have the fifth installment in a series of interviews about parenting. For the series I invited artist couples to talk with each other about finding balance between creative work and life...

What's Tales of a Red Clay Rambler: A pottery and ceramic art podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Tales of a Red Clay Rambler: A pottery and ceramic art podcast episodes:

511: Fund Drive: Stephanie Seguin on tactile learning

510: Fund Drive: Judi Tavill on blending drawing with sculpture

509: Fund Drive: Brian Chen on the anatomy of his forms

508: Clay Roots: Exploring Ceramics Across the Black Diaspora with Malene Barnett, Lydia Thompson, Ashlyn Pope, and David Macdonald

507: Malene Barnett on blending design and studio art

506: Jane Bamford on using ceramics to support ecosystems

505: Cammie Staros on the power of precarity in sculpture

504: Jonathan Kaplan on investing in yourself

503: Lauren Sandler on the unseen narratives of material culture

502: Yuliya Makliuk on understanding the carbon footprint of ceramics

501: A collective approach to sustainability with Clay Matters

500: Celebrating 500 with a listener mailbag

499: Live from the New Clay Conference!

498: Didem Mert on the importance of play in creativity

497: Michael Middleton on collecting with special guest Rebecca Ickes Carra

496: Kyungmin Park on a multifaceted approach to the figure

495: Brad Schwieger on using subtractive methods to find form

494: Matt Katz on understanding ceramic chemistry

493: Kim Dickey on the power of ornamentation

492: Doug Peltzman on nourishing the kernel of a new idea

491: Naomi Dalglish and Michael Hunt on Endless Ground

490: Daugherty and Rothshank on starting a nonprofit

489: Dirk Staschke on uncanny realism

488: Jonathan Christensen Caballero on mining local histories for his work

487: Haakon Lenzi on marbleizing slip

486: Catherine White on monoprinting with wood ash

485: Bryan Hopkins on low-fire porcelain

484: Alex Thullen on iridescent luster glazes

483: Renata Cassiano on literature, portals, and intuition

482: Paul Andrew Wandless on a unified style across mediums

481: Amy Sanders and Gleidymar Rivera on making a living as an emerging artist

480: Lucy Fagella on embracing studio cycles

479: Glenn Barkley on his book Ceramics: An Atlas of Forms

478: Brickyard Network 2nd Anniversary with Michael Kline and Adrienne Eliades

477: Adam Chau on using A.I.

476: Frank James Fisher on establishing a visual language

475: Anika Major on her approach to painting the figure

474: Linda Sikora on teaching

473: Linda Sikora on the concepts of service, storage, and display

472: Sculptor Janina Myronova on building momentum in the studio

471: Maura Wright on her portrayal of beauty rituals in Midwest Sweat

470: Simphiwe Mbunyuza on developing potent references to Xhosa culture in his sculpture

469: Heidi Fahrenbacher on her formula for pricing

468: Rosti Eismont on blending a career in clay and graphic design

467: Fund Drive: Pete Pinnell on re-finding your voice

466: Fund Drive: Anat Shiftan on the human perception and distortion of nature

465: Fund Drive: Lauren Mabry on pushing the boundaries of glaze

464: Fund Drive: Sergei Isupov on his surrealistic sculptures

463: Meet the Parents: Courtney Martin and John Geci

462: Meet the Parents: Mallory Wetherell and Matt Ziemke