The Potters Cast

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. https://ThePottersCast.com/1155

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. https://ThePottersCast.com/1154

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. http://ThePottersCast.com/1153

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. https://ThePottersCast.com/1152

Alex Mrachkovskiy has been working with clay for over 12 years. Alex founded a studio where he creates handmade ceramics — simple, honest, and full of character. Alex is drawn to texture, light, stillness, and those quiet moments when ordinary things feel special without saying much. https://ThePottersCast.com/1151

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. https://ThePottersCast.com/1150

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. https://ThePottersCast.com/1149

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. https://ThePottersCast.com/1148

Chris Pratt is a mechanical engineer who makes double walled ceramic mugs. After being laid off during Covid Chris started designing and making plaster molds for slip casting. Over the past few years Chris has refined his process with automated casting and glazing machines. https://ThePottersCast.com/1147

Lisa Fleming Ceramics is based in San Francisco, CA where she makes one of a kind, wheel thrown, porcelain vessels. Lisa's design-driven pieces focus on elegant silhouettes, simple yet sophisticated lines, and delicate balance. Lisa makes all her glazes and colored clays in her studio and loves to experiment! https://ThePottersCast.com/1146

Kura Studio was co-founded in 2017 by best friend duo Serena Pangestu and Anika Kalotay. Kura Studio believes that responsive design can turn day-to-day tasks into small thoughtful moments. Serena and Anika's practice is embedded in the idea of 'making’ and ‘designing’ as a way to explore concepts of living, working, & consuming mindfully. https://ThePottersCast.com/1145

Nick LaPointe started throwing pots about 25 years ago at Santa Barbara City College and has been doing pottery ever since. Like many potters, Nick fell in love with the process of throwing and creating handmade art immediately. And about 6 years ago Nick started carving wood grains into his mugs experimenting with designs and ideas, working with other potters on collaborations, and throwing as much as he could! It's been an amazing journey up to now and he can't wait to see what the future brings! https://ThePottersCast.com/1144

Lauren Herzak-Bauman is a ceramic artist who creates functional pottery and installations. Lauren's work explores the beauty of materials, elevates everyday experiences, and prompts reflection on the transformative power of art. https://ThePottersCast.com/1143

Jessie lazar makes functional ceramics for the home and table. Mostly wheel thrown, mostly gas fired, Jessie makes clean precise forms with painterly glazes meant to elevate humble items in your daily routine. After over a decade of making, selling, and teaching ceramics in New York City, Jessie relocated her studio and business to the Catskills in upstate New York. Setting up a new ceramics studio and brick & mortar homegood store in Eldred NY. This quickly expanded beyond Studio Jessie Lazar into Sullivan Public, a 3400 square foot industrial space turned community artspace, hosting local teaching artists, classes, afterschool and community events. https://ThePottersCast.com/1142

Sarah Anderson is a traveling ceramic artist, teaching ceramic workshops across the country in a renovated Shasta camper with her dog Pip. After graduating from Ball State University with a sculpture degree, Sarah worked as a ceramic studio chair, sold work at craft fairs and numerous national galleries, partnered with her companies on the road, and now is opening an art therapy and ceramic store front called Dusty Pants Studio. https://ThePottersCast.com/1141

Tim Clark, also know as The Half Blind Potter. Tim lost the vision in my left eye in Dec of 2020 and discovered pottery in late spring of 2021. Ceramics has played a huge role in Tim's recovery and has actually provided two different avenues of advocacy and giving back to the visually impaired community. In 2023 Tim started the "Blindfold Challenge" to benefit The Fun Eye Fund. It is a charity that raises money for those that are in need of a prosthetic eye but may have a financial challenge in covering the cost due to lack of insurance or insurance not covering the cost of a prosthetic eye. https://ThePottersCast.com/1140

Roshni Senapati makes hand-built sculptural vessels which include stitched and knotted silk threads and cloth drawn from old family saris. Using two materials allows Roshni to explore family narratives and cultural connections through the form and colour of the porcelain vessels, as well as the histories enmeshed in the silk fibres. https://ThePottersCast.com/1139

Bennett Graves is a potter based in Pittsburgh, where he’s been managing Fireborn Studios (alongside owner Dan Vito) since 2018. Bennett's work consists primarily of wheel-thrown porcelain, decorated with subtle surface variation and translucent high-fire glazes. Bennett's heart, however, belongs to humble, rough-hewn pots crafted from locally-sourced, minimally-processed materials. https://ThePottersCast.com/1138

John Neely is an alumni of The Potters Cast. Way back in the very beginning of the show John agreed to come on to The Potters Cast. Episode 31. John suddenly passed away this week. In tribute to John we are returning to his conversation. Lots of love to John and his family. https://ThePottersCast.com/1137

Gillian Martin is a Melbourne-based artist working primarily in ceramics. Gillian holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Ceramics) from Monash University and has a background in photography, a practice that continues to inform her attention to composition and surface detail. Since returning to clay. Gillian has focused on material exploration, working across a variety of clay bodies to investigate new approaches to form, color, and texture. Color and stripes plays a central role in Gillian's process. Through layered applications of contrasting tones and slips, Gillian creates dynamic, evolving surfaces to explore concepts of perception, optical illusions, and the nature of lines. This intuitive, unstructured approach allows each piece to develop its own visual language, shaped by instinct, emotion, and material response. http://ThePottersCast.com/1136