Haakon Lenzi | Episode 1157

Haakon Lenzi is a lifelong New Yorker. Haakon maintains an active studio practice out of his East Harlem studio, where he produces his signature “Lenziware” pottery.

SPONSORS

  You can help support the show!

GRPotteryForms.com

diamondcoretools.com

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

For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com

Why is handmade work still important today?

Wow, that’s a very big question to give a concise answer for, but I would say that handmade work is important because human beings have a connection to making things. It’s one of the fundamental things that humans have done, and that’s why if you go to any museum, you’ll see. That the long history of people is often represented by the artifacts that they’ve created, whether those are in some cases pots as well as jewelry, and certainly utilitarian things like spoons and tools and that sort of thing. I think in a time where the world is becoming increasingly immaterial, we’re focusing on we’re getting lost perhaps in social media and sort of commercialization of things to make handmade pots is, On the one hand, a rebellious act, but also something that can connect you to the entire history of humanity and preserve something that could very well otherwise be lost. It seems like we’ve all lost a little bit of the humanity in the last few years.

Why is the local potter, important to her or his community?

That’s an interesting one because my community is New York City and in a way, I don’t know how much I have to do with my city. Certainly if I walk down the street a lot of people know me in my neighborhood, but they don’t necessarily buy my work or have it. And that’s a really tough question that to answer, I think there are places where, say if you’re in the Hudson Valley or in western Massachusetts, where people have really developed an authentic client base where they sort of educate their community on the virtue of having ceramics… Then of course those communities perhaps have the expendable income to afford it. But certainly I would say that at the very least, whether they’re your direct customers, it is incredibly important to be engaged with your community.

There was a short clip that was bouncing around social media that was stating that you can’t make a living off selling your pottery. But I am seeing you living in one of the most expensive cities in the world and you are living off your pottery. How does that ring true or how is it false?

Well, I know the clip that you’re talking about, and I think they were specifically saying you can’t make a living selling a $45.00 mug. Now I think that there are parts of the country where certainly many people do make a living selling $45.00 mugs exclusively. I don’t think that you could do that really here in New York City. First of all, I sell my work for quite a bit more than that. Secondly, the part of why I’ve been able to do what I do is that I did not incur a lot of debt when I went to school. I went to a state school, Alfred University, which is a state program. So I came out of school with a very low debt ratio. My father and I ran a bar and I lived with him and I just put everything into paying the loans off. So that gave me a degree of freedom to do it that a lot of people like my peers were not able to do. And I think that you need other streams of income of some sort or another, whether that’s teaching or renting studio space or something like that.

For you, how many different streams of income do you require to keep your work life going?

Well, just being totally real, none of my career would even be possible if it was not for my wife’s stream income. We are a two-income household. My wife previously was a web developer and has run a very successful jewelry business called Spur Jewelry where they refurbish or redesign antique jewelry. And my income is from selling pots, and, up until recently, a lot of my income was from teaching.

Why is making a cup so high on your love list?

That’s a great that’s a great question. Financial doesn’t make a ton of sense because it’s usually the cheapest thing we make. But first of all, that’s the entry point that most people have into ceramics is buying cups and it’s something that we all use. If I were to say why I love functional pottery is that people use it. That’s an incredible gift to be that heavily featured in people’s lives. There’s no item that is used more regularly than the cup. Let’s put it this way- your lips are space that are reserved for very few things in this world: eating food the embrace of a lover, or perhaps sometimes your family, and my pottery. And that’s a really special thing.

Book

Contact

haakon-lenzi.myshopify.com

Instagram: @haakonlenzi

Evgenii Pokidaev | Episode 1156

SPONSORS

  You can help support the show!

GRPotteryForms.com

diamondcoretools.com

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

For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com

What kind of difference can a good teacher make in a potter’s life?

Sometimes we can see an amazing potter or thrower, but not everyone who has good skills can teach. In my opinion, the difference is the way of thinking. When someone tries to explain things and use words that are understandable for himself or herself, or when someone uses words understandable for students.

Then how does a teacher know they are using the right words for the students?

I’ll tell a short story… I recorded an online course before I came to Bali, and then I went to teach real people who really wanted to learn throwing. I tried to teach using the words from my course based on how I understood it. The people didn’t understand. So I tried to explain a different way, with different explanations and the students could finally understand. Then I wrote down what was working and I started to use it. I also took my video course and deleted it because it didn’t work. So if I teach and they don’t understand, then I start from the beginning with explanations not from my mind, but from my experience with different people.

That make me curious then about feedback for a student… Why is it important for the student to receive feedback on how they are throwing?

This is the main difference between a Youtube video and an online course: my students have the opportunity to ask me any questions, they have opportunities to send me videos of them throwing, and I can then watch it and give feedback. When people are throwing and learning how to throw, they are thinking, Okay. I am doing exactly as the teacher showed, but I don’t understand why it is not working.  The different point of view is essential- especially for an experienced person to watch and give feedback.

When a person signs up for a course, what should their attitude be?

I can teach anyone. Some people I can teach really fast, and others need more time. But people really just need to want to learn. Of course it is impossible to teach someone if he or she doesn’t practice. So if people are willing to practice, and if people really want to learn this skill, then it is really not a big deal. I have taught so many people and it works.

A final question that is more personal… What is your favorite part of traveling?

My favorite part is meeting people, the local people. Especially if it people from the pottery community. When I go anywhere I meet my students or my followers and we have a really good time.

Book

Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch

Contact

edu.moonjar.online/get_centered

Instagram: @pokidaeff

Susie Kathol | Episode 1155

Susie Kathol is a ceramic artist working with the sgraffito decoration technique, making and etching black-and-white pieces with images from nature. Susie’s inspiration comes from her deep connection to animals, plants, fungi, and her work as a biologist.

SPONSORS

  You can help support the show!

GRPotteryForms.com

diamondcoretools.com

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

For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com

How did you identify which galleries?

It’s been a mix of going to galleries and really liking what I’m seeing, and also recommendations from other friends who are artists, who are already in those galleries.

Have you done submissions or inquiries face to face?

I’ve done online submissions just because they’re in towns that are a little way away from me, so I haven’t been able to go in in person, but it might be easier option.

Let me ask you about your actual submission. When you reach out to galleries are you writing a specific submission for each gallery are you writing a generic one that you would just cut and paste and send from one to the next?

Actually I’ve been making individual pieces specifically designed for the galleries that I’ve thought very much about.  I’ve made already some pieces that I hope that they will be interested in, mostly based on their native wildlife and plants. And every application has been very much catered to that individual gallery.

Then how about your images? How much professionalism or quality are you putting into your images for their consideration?

Well I’m doing my best with photography. I’m not necessarily the greatest photographer, but I hope that they are good enough quality. I try and do pretty descriptive photographs mostly outside and with good lighting.

You mentioned that you’ve been asking friends and looking for recommendations, and I’m curious about that networking: How important is that for figuring out who to reach out to in terms of which galleries, but also who to reach out to within the gallery?

I haven’t really gotten any recommendations of who to reach out to individually in each gallery, but just the galleries in general.

How have you prepared your heart for rejection?

I work on that all the time because it has been a struggle for me. ut I really appreciate when people are honest and straightforward and I didn’t know any injection so much nowadays. I did get an injection from one of the galleries that applied to already and that’s just totally fine. I don’t have much of an ego when it comes to my pottery, so I completely am just very grateful when people do like it and then you do want to have a working relationship with me. But if not, that is OK.

Book

Visual Thinking by Temple Grandin

Contact

susiekatholceramics.ca

Instagram: @susiekatholceramics

Kelsey Schroeder | Episode 1153

Kelsey Schroeder is originally from Rapid City, South Dakota and is proud to be a working artist still living in the Black Hills. Kelsey is currently working out of her home studio full time to support her family. Kelsey is inspired by colors and textures in the natural world- from ocean tides and coral reefs, to geological formations and patterns in rocks. It is Kelsey’s hope to create a world that is energetic and colorful while still staying true to the subtle beauty  see in nature.

SPONSORS

  You can help support the show!

GRPotteryForms.com

diamondcoretools.com

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

For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com

Why have you avoided going to the next level with buying software etc for your business?

I just haven’t really seen the need for it when it comes down to it. If I looked into it more I may see a benefit but what I am doing is working so it’s kind of, If it’s not broken don’t fix it. (laughter) It’s working for me so I haven’t seen a need to change it up.

About how much time a week have you taken toward the administration of your ceramic endeavors?

That is a really good question that I honestly can’t quantify, because I kind of don’t know the answer. More of how it kind of breaks down I set up more of a monthly work flow for myself so that I know that I am kind of creating work for about two, two and half weeks, and then I do about a  week of glazing, and then I need a week of photographing pieces, creating listings, and shipping them out. But on a daily basis I probably spend maybe an hour on social media just creating new posts and scheduling things out.

What social media platforms do you tend to lean on to get the word out about your work?

Almost exclusively with Instagram. I do have a Facebook page for my business but I don’t get a ton of engagement from there so I don’t spend a lot of time doing things like that.

For your making, how much time do you spend sitting down in the studio doing what you do to make a piece?

I spend an average of probably like 6 to 7 hours every day in the studio actively making. My kids are at school for around 7 hours so I know that is my dedicated time where I can just be in the studio and not have distractions. And then I usually have a bit of spill over time n the evening. You know with clay when things are at that perfect dryness, but most days it’s an average of 6 to 7 hours in the studio.

When you say daily, do you have time to take days off, like weekends?

Theoretically I should but I am really bad about doing that for myself. When I am excited about something I am creating I want to get it done. There is always a kind of deadline in my head of what has to get done. I love what I am doing so much and love when I am in the studio. But I am trying to recognize when I need a bit of time off.

Why the Sealife inspiration when you are in South Dakata?

I am nature inspired. My last collection was specifically an ocean one so that is fresh right now, but honestly I am just a nature lover so put me in front of any animal, it could be a South Dakota chipmunk or an Orca in Iceland and I am a happy camper.

Book

An Immense World by Ed Young

Contact

kswildlifecreations.com

Instagram: @kelseyceramics

Tim McMahon | Episode 1153

Tim McMahon graduated from the Maine College of Art and Design (MECAD) with a BFA in Sculpture. He taught middle school art at North Yarmouth Academy for 15 years, before leaving the teaching world to pursue full time work in carpentry and ceramics. Tim lives in Portland with his wife and two boys. He creates all of his monster designs in his backyard studio.

SPONSORS

  You can help support the show!

GRPotteryForms.com

diamondcoretools.com

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

For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com

Do you call your creatures monsters, creatures? What kind of category would you put across them?

Yeah, monsters is a great term, a lot of them tend to look like octopuses so I call them Kraken or characters, there’s a variety.

Do you have names for each one of them?

Not really, although for my website I ended up having to give them some sort of names just so that we had a common language to use to tell which ones they would prefer.

Do you ever have stories to go with what they are doing or with who they are?

Not specifically. But it seems like people take them home and then create their own worlds because I get emails and DMs all

time with people that have incorporated them into their lives in a way that I would have never anticipated.

Are you much of a seller online with your work?

Not really. I’m in a cycle where most of the work that goes wholesale ends and then I go right to making work for sales at craft shows and then every once in a while, I will have stuff to put on my website.

How much effort do you put into developing your online business?

Not enough. I want to do more. It’s just sometimes it seems really hard to be posting on Instagram when it seems like everything is so awful that you hear in the news to put things out that is so silly and frivolous. It feels sometimes inappropriate.

How many shows do you end up doing through the show season?

Between ten and fifteen.

Wow. Are they one day shows, two day shows?

Some of them are one day. Some of them are two, I have a few that are three this year.

Do you have a system for putting your pots on display?

Yes, it’s one of my favorite things to obsess about. I have worked up a whole system of portable shelving that goes together really simply and lighting, and a tent for outdoors or pipe and drape for indoor shoes.

Book

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt 

Contact

timberceramics.com

Instagram: @timberceramics

John Hunter | Episode 1152

John Hunter has made pottery for over 50 years. In 1970 John studied at Penland School of Crafts with Cynthia Bringle and other well-known potters and ceramic artists. In 2005, John and his wife, Suzanne, founded Community Hope Ministries in Namibia. John lectures worldwide with his potter’s wheel, applying insights from the perspective of a potter and the clay. Currently John fires his work in a local wood burning kiln and a gas soda kiln he built at his ceramic studio in Madison, Wisconsin.

SPONSORS

  You can help support the show!

GRPotteryForms.com

diamondcoretools.com

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

For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com

Is a person born creative?

Well, that’s a good question. I have no idea. I know I was. I was very creative from the time I was a youth but not with clay.

Do you think that people can nurture their creativity if they are all thumbs?

I think so. I think practice really makes a difference and the more you work at it the better you’ll be at it.

Do you think creativity is a gift from God?

I think so, I think in my case it was something I discovered that you know the whole ceramics thing you were asking me about, why it works for me, what I love about clay, and I just think I found myself in it in working with clay.

Have you seen people learn to work with clay and their lives get turned around?

I think you hear about that all the time as I read people’s stories on Instagram that working with clay has changed the way they feel about themselves and it’s given them a sense of peace and purpose.

You have been doing clay since 1968. What role will clay play in your next 5 years?

Well, I hope to keep working with clay. It keeps me healthy, and I am 75 now. I try to put 6-8 hours a day working in the studio, so I enjoy working and my back doesn’t work if I am working with clay.

As a seasoned potter do you feel like it is important for you to pass on your pottery knowledge to the next generation?

Very much so. In fact, I think that is really what I am looking to do here in Madison is to get to a place where I can have an opportunity to teach more and do workshops and to impart my love of clay to younger people.

Book

To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

Contact

johnhunterpottery.com

Instagram: @hunterpottery

Alex Mrachkovskiy | Episode 1151

Alex Mrachkovskiy has been working with ceramics since 2012. Alex likes exploring different textures — carving, scratching, and cutting into the surface. Alex enjoys trying out different techniques and following what feels interesting. A lot of inspiration comes from nature. Alex’s pieces are about process, touch, and the small details.

SPONSORS

  You can help support the show!

GRPotteryForms.com

diamondcoretools.com

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

For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com

How do you organize or structure your day as a maker?

It is very spontaneous. I try to be more structured. A few days I’m  carving, a few days I’m painting. I try to have my mugs in one place near me and not go from one place to another in the studio. I try not to just make one thing but a few of them.

What is the piece that you enjoy to make the most?

It’s a hard question because I really enjoyed my last works only I finished them. (laughter)

Do you ever get stuck where you have a hard time getting started on a piece?

Absolutely, I have a hard time, sometimes I don’t have ideas. Sometimes I don’t have motivation. And sometimes I have in myself walking around or riding a bicycle just to feel that I am ready to make something new.

How do you know how to stop making a piece, like when it’s finished?

It is also a hard question because I never know how it will be finished. Sometimes I just make rough shapes, rough clay, and start carving it or start molding something and then carving it and I feel like it’s okay in the process. It is more spontaneous work.

Do you have a story in your mind for some of your pieces that you make?

 No, no, it’s not my way of thinking. I don’t have stories or tales or something like that. The only thing I have is an abstract imagination. For example my mugs have rustic handles and they are inspired by the Ukraine which was the USSR and it collapsed and we somehow live here in post-apocalyptic from the USSR. Buildings were left and rusted and this way of feeling is inspired by surroundings.

Has being in the army inspired any of your work?

Not particular works but it inspired me to make something because my hands really need to make something from clay. (laughter) I am not a conceptual artist who makes ideas to speak with my medium. I just make an impression of my imagined world.

If you are faced with making a big decision, how do you decide what is the right thing to do?

I don’t know, it’s like maybe I mostly avoid making big decisions, (laughter) and feel like my fate will work. I don’t know because maybe I am not adult enough to make big decisions.  It’s hard because I make bad decisions so I do not recommend to listen to me. (laughter)

Book

Man’s Search For Meaning by Victor Frankl

Contact

mrachkovskiy.com

Instagram: @alexmrachkovskiy

Jessa Decker-Smith | Episode 1150

With her whimsical works, potter Jessa Decker-Smith endeavors to add delight to the mundane motions of everyday life. She lives in Denver with husband Eric, 3 kiddos, 2 studio cats and Big Mama, the fountain she made during lockdown that took her on an unexpected journey that has resulted in an additional 253 fountains, so far. Whether you find them at home, in the garden, or in sacred spaces, she hopes encountering her pieces brings you joy and ease.

SPONSORS

  You can help support the show!

GRPotteryForms.com

diamondcoretools.com

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

For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com

I’m curious how far in advance are you letting the world know that the? Camps are available.

I started getting camps on the calendar early in the year, and I probably announced it first two weeks of January. Because, at least in our town, you start signing your kids up from camp for camps in the summer, several months in advance, so to be on top of that, and to have let parents have options, I start pretty early in the year.

And then how much time do you put into prepping your curriculum?

I would say that it doesn’t require as much free planning now as it did. You know, I’ve been doing this now for 10 years so I sort of know what projects really excite the kids, and I’m very eager to follow their excitement wherever it may lead.

You said that you said that you’ve been doing it long enough and that it’s easier now. Does that mean that it’s OK to repeat your lessons from year to year?

I definitely repeat lessons. I will have kids who will come and request a lesson because their older sibling took it and made, you know, the bobble head cat. So I absolutely do repeat things and I have a drawer full of examples from the years that I’ve been teaching it and sometimes. I’ll have them choose of what’s available there.

Do you ever do a camp that’s like thematically based approach to your teaching?

Yeah. This is the first year I have made themes for my camps because I have some kids who are coming back now for 3rd and fourth year, so I want to mix it up. So this year I have given them themes. Theme one is Clay Play 101. It’s  specifically for kiddos who, if they’re not sure and they’ve not done clay play before, this is perfect for them. Now, I do have a lot of repeaters in that class too, just because that’s the date that worked out. The second week is Wonder and Whimsy week it’ll be a lot of magical, fantastical… you know, fun times there. I’m imagining fairy houses and toadstools and that sort of thing. And then the last week is in nature themed. So yes, for the first time I’m doing themed weeks.

You’re being entrusted with people’s children… Do you have a helper or are parents required to be there? Tell me about these the oversight of the kids.

I have a helper when I get above 8 campers. Right now it’s a college student, so it’s someone who has a clay experience. Sometimes it’s been a person who took lessons with me. I’ve had an apprentice who was my helper from time to time. There are guidelines in the church world that’s like a safe sanctuary, so no kids spends any time alone with an adult, and like we follow safety guidelines when we’re crossing to the playground and that sort of thing.

I know that you said during those these busy times you are not doing your own work very much. I’m curious for you. when you are done teaching your classes, what’s the first thing that you are starting to make again for yourself?

Well, I have a lot of things that are on the To Do list because I came back from NCECA in March… I went to my first NCECA, came back just teeming with inspiration and I have only allowed myself to like peek into it because I had camps coming up and I have a big liturgical event in July, which is my biggest sales event over the two year cycle. So I have to make a lot of pottery for that. But, when I get back from that, I intend to open up this treasure trove of inspiration that I collected at NCECA and sort of see what spills out. I want to do 100 day practice inspired by the closing keynote at NCECA who talked about her hundred day practices that she will undertake at different times for different reasons. And I’m like so maxed out with input that I need that practice to kind of get it out and see where it lands.

Book

Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile

Contact

deckersmithpottery.com

Instagram: @deckersmithpottery

Kathy Skaggs | Episode 1149

Kathy Skaggs holds her MAE and MFA in Ceramics. Kathy taught art in public schools for 30+ years and founded Atlantic Pottery Supply. Kathy is now a Ceramic Education Consultant with AMACO, training educators and artists in clay integration and surface printing techniques.

SPONSORS

  You can help support the show!

GRPotteryForms.com

diamondcoretools.com

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

For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com

Is there an approach you take to get in the mode to have a dialogue with your work when you begin?

The biggest thing is you have got to listen. You can’t go hell or highwater into it with this masterplan. It’s like listening to a friend. You have to catch the subtle signals that are right in front of you. I mean, all you have to do is listen.

Does that mean it is an inner dialogue or an outer dialogue of the piece?

Well, all I know is when I am working on something and something happens in front of me, which is unplanned, or I planned a different way, and it planned another way that I don’t hello or highwater bring it back to the original plan. Like if it takes a right turn, I gotta go more right. Instead of trying to make it go left like I wanted it to initially. You have to read the signals and say; I am going to go with that.

It’s like someone said it’s the idea of almost complete, but never fully complete so you want to have room for something else to redirect your thoughts. Is that what you are saying?

A hundred percent. A hundred percent. I think you go in with a basic premise, with an idea, but I see people who have too full-blown ideas, and their ideas are so full-blown in their head that they are constantly disappointed. Or initially when they work in clay, they are disappointed. Instead of looking at what’s in front of them and reacting to that.

Should we be asking while working with a piece, does it flow or is it disjointed? Is that a good thing to stop and ask those questions? Or what should I add or what should I remove?

I think you do have to say; What should I add, what should I remove?  When you go up with a basic concept, you put something down, you get the ball rolling. And then you look at it and you want to capitalize on what’s going on.

Book

Architecture Without Architects by Bernard Rudofsky

Contact

kathy-skaggs.com

Instagram: @kathyskaggsclay

Heather Lepp | Episode 1148

Heather Lepp is an artist and educator originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She received her BFA from the University of Manitoba in 2016, and her MFA from West Virginia University in 2024. In addition to formal education, she apprenticed with four professional potters from 2016-2020. In 2019 she was an artist in residence at Medalta, and in 2023 she was a summer resident at the Red Lodge Clay Center. She has taught at numerous art centers and exhibited her work across Canada and the United States. Currently, she is a long-term resident at the Clay Studio of Missoula where she lives with her partner and two dogs.

SPONSORS

  You can help support the show!

GRPotteryForms.com

diamondcoretools.com

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

For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com

Does a year of yes have any kind of limits?

Umm, I mean, yes and no. (laughter)  I am saying it’s a year of yes for my business so when somebody is asking me if I can be part of a show I’m like, Yes! Or if you can do some kind of exhibition or something, I am like, Yeah , sure. I’ll do that. But I am just a one person show so if I really can’t making it work then I say, I’m sorry I can’t.

Tell me what that does for exposure or increasing your exposure.

 Yeah, that’s part of what it’s all about. So I just got a website a couple of months ago. I am trying to post a little more regularly on Instagram and just really get my pots out into the world and make a go at this.

Does this help you in terms of networking?

Yeah, definitely. And that is also wholesome networking. It’s not the kind of networking that feels like, Oh, I’m making these connections just specifically for me to get ahead or something. It feels like, Oh , I am networking with this other person because they are also working in the same temperature range as me or something, and that’s really cool and there’s not a lot of people doing that.

What has the year of yes done for your confidence?

It’s done a good thing for my confidence for sure. Coming out of grad school my confidence was at an all-time low. I intentionally didn’t exhibit my work through my years of grad school. It was a very personal journey for me. But coming out of grad school meant that I didn’t get feedback of my work from the greater community and my work had changed a lot. It had changed in ways that felt good to me. I felt like it was more personally connected to me but I was ready to get feedback from my greater ceramic community and also appreciators of the the arts. Their feedback makes me feel and good and keeps me going.

Has this year of yes helped you become more focused?

Yeah, absolutely. I am somebody that thrives on deadlines and everyone is like, Wow, you are busy and you make so much work. And it’s like, This is what I love to do. I love to make things. I love for them to go out into the world and then I can make more things. So it keeps me really focused.

How is a year of yes helping you to avoid regret?

You can’t really have regret because you are just saying yes. (laughter) So FOMO, the fear of missing out, you don’t have that. You are in it.

Book

The sun as a compass by Carolyn Van Hemert

Contact

heatherleppceramics.com

Instagram: @heatherlepp