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

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast, I have an interview with Whitney Smith. Inspired by the natural world and the floral patterns of Art Nouveau, Whitney produces a variety of functional pottery in her Oakland, CA studio. In addition to being a  full-time potter Whitney has been a devoted blogger since 2006. Her direct and humorous writing style has drawn a world-wide following to her blog, This Artist's Life: Life in and Out of the Ceramic Studio. 

In the interview we talk about crafting your story through social media, selling online through Etsy, and dealing with burnout. You can find out more about Whitney's work at www.whitneysmithpottery.com. The interview was taped in front of a live audience at the 4th and Clay Studio in Berkeley, CA. 

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a panel on social media featuring Carole Epp, Michael Kline, and Adam Field. The discussion covers a broad range of topics including self censorship, branding, and staying power. Virtual Realities, Material World was taped live at the 2014 NCECA conference in Milwaukee, WI. 

This podcast features the question and answer session that occurred after our individual presentations. To see a video of our presentations please visit the WatchNCECA channel on You Tube.

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast, I have an interview with Carter Gillies. A potter, educator, and devoted blogger, Carter maintains a home studio in Athens, Georgia. I discovered his blog a few years ago and he quickly became one of my favorite writers. He regularly tackles both the everyday and the extraordinary aspects of an artist's life. 

In the interview we talk about Carter's background in philosophy, his theory about the five stages of learning, and how selling online could change the way artists take risks in their studio. You can find more about his work at www.cartergilliespottery.wordpress.com.

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast, I have an interview with Diana Fayt. With a background in painting and drawing, Diana uses scrimshaw techniques to create rich compositions filled with folkloric images and symbols of cultural identity. As the child of immigrants, travel, maps, and cultural mythologies have been a large part of her creative life. Through a lifetime spent traveling the world, she has acquired a unique sense of the role of culture in shaping personal narratives. She currently lives in San Francisco where she maintains a studio and exhibits her work across the United States.

In the interview we talk about life in San Francisco, her approach to symbols and storytelling, and the development of her online e-course The Clayer. You can find more about her work at www.dianafayt.com.

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast, I have an interview with Ron Meyers. Known for his highly decorated terra cotta forms, Ron has been a major influence in American low fire ceramics. He uses expressive painting and sgraffito drawing to create images of fish, birds, and other animal motifs that often have human characteristics. During his extensive career in ceramics he has taught at the University of South Carolina (1967-1972) and the University of Georgia (1972-1993). He lives in Athens. Ga where he maintains a studio and exhibits widely in the United States. 

In the interview we talk about finding one's voice as a maker, the development of his "usual suspects" characters, and how retiring from teaching energized his ceramics career. You can find Ron's work online at the Signature Shop, AKAR, and Red Lodge Clay Center.

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast, I have an interview with Michael Simon. After studying at the University of Minnesota in the late 1960's, Michael set up a studio in the Athens, GA area where he has been making pots for more than 30 years. From shallow round bowls to complex squared boxes Michael developed a unique approach to matching form with decoration. His images of fish, birds, trees, and other nature-based motifs are simple in their geometric orientation but bold in their iconographic impact. In the interview we talk about intuition, the influence of Michael's teacher Warren Mackenzie, and a lifetime devoted to finding truth in the pursuit of pottery.

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have the Best of Season Two. This compilation episode covers a wide range of topics including dealing with fear in the studio, wading through nostalgia to find authenticity, and balancing family life with an art practice. A huge thank you to all the listeners that took the online survey and emailed their favorite episodes from the last year. It has been a pleasure to produce the show and I look forward to starting Season Three in the near future.

The episode features excepts from interviews with Steven Hill, Richard Notkin, Bobby Silverman, Kyle Carpenter, Ron Philbeck, Michael Kline, Julia Galloway, Kristen Kieffer, Alex Matisse, Josh Copus, Lindsay Rogers, and Vernon, Pam and Travis Owens from Jugtown Pottery. For more information on these artists, or their interviews, please visit www.talesofaredclayrambler.com.

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Molly Hatch. Trained as a potter her career straddles the boundaries between art, craft, and design. From her home studio in Northhampton, MA she creates prototypes that are replicated in factories and sold through major design labels. While employing the labor of the factory she continues to push the aesthetic of the hand in her ceramic, fabric, and home ware designs. In addition, she maintains a foothold in the art market with large scale one-of-a-kind plate paintings that are shown in galleries and museums. 

In the interview we talk about a variety of topics including using the factory as a tool, the dynamics of class struggle in the art world, and her recent installation at the High Museum in Atlanta. For more information on Molly's work please visit www.mollyhatch.com.

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a panel discussion with Kristen Kieffer, Julia Galloway, and Michael Kline on current trends in ceramic design. Our wide-ranging conversation looks at the effect of the internet on the way we see design, the pressures on young artists to succeed, and dealing with the restless personality of the artist.

Kristen Kieffer is a potter living in Baldwinville, MA. For more information about her work please visit www.kiefferceramics.com. Michael Kline is a potter living in Bakersville, NC. For more information on his work please visit www.klinepottery.com. Julia Galloway is a potter and educator living in Missoula, MT. She currently serves as a professor and director of the School of Art at the University of Montana. For more information on her work please visit www.juliagalloway.com.

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Mark Hewitt. Born in Stoke-on-Trent, England, to a family who worked for Spode China manufacturing, Hewitt has been around ceramics his entire life. During college an encounter with Bernard Leach's "A Potter's Book" set him in the direction of studio pottery and towards the apprenticeship system of education. A major proponent of the system Hewitt spent years training with both Michael Cardew and Todd Piker. Upon finishing his training he moved to Pittsboro, NC where he has maintained a studio since 1983.

In the interview we talk about his time with Michael Cardew, the value of the apprenticeship system, and developing the confidence needed to run a major ceramic workshop. For more information on Mark's work please visit www.hewittpottery.com