Advice For A New Teacher | Paul Blais | Episode 1256

Paul Blais | Episode 1256

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I am a new teacher of clay. A little over a year ago Jennifer and I opened a new community studio here in Vancouver, Washington called Clay Works of Vancouver. Because I wasn’t a teacher, I went a good chunk of the year watching others teach all the classes. I started doing our one-off classes, Take It For A Spin, and Clay for Two classes. These are basic one-time events that are there just to dip the toe in the water and have fun. But then I was asked by a person if I would be willing to teach a beginner class. I said with total confidence that I would totally do it for her. And then I actually had to do it. So I asked for some advice from y’all. This episode is some of the advice I received.

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Writing An App For Potters | Amy Noel | Episode 1255

Amy Noel | Episode 1255

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Amy Noel is the owner and potter behind Wabi Scotia Pottery in Nova Scotia. After years of working part-time with young children, she turned her passion for clay into a full-time business. Today, she creates functional pottery, teaches classes, and has expanded her studio to include kiln rentals, helping others discover the joy and confidence that come from working with clay.

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A Booth For Markets | Kim Johnston | Episode 1254

Kim Johnston | Episode 1254

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Kim Johnston is a South Australian graphic designer and part-time ceramicist. Drawn to clay as a way to step away from the screen and reconnect with a more hands-on creative process, Kim creates functional ceramics that celebrate everyday rituals. Through her work, Kim is exploring her artistic voice while building her ceramics practice.

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Starting A Community Studio | Jeffery Liang | Episode 1253

Jeffery Liang | Episode 1253

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Jeffery Liang is a Taiwanese American based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a background in fine arts and industrial design, Jeffery’s passion for creating has always been at the heart of everything he does. Handmade pottery became the perfect medium for him because it beautifully combines these two passions. Jeffery’s journey into ceramics began in 2018 when he became a student at City College of San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center. Jeffery quickly realized that ceramics was something he wanted to pursue seriously. A few months later, Jeffery began working at several pottery studios in both San Francisco and his hometown of Taipei, where he continued to refine his skills and deepen his understanding of the craft. Initially, The Spiffy Studio began as an after-work project about making and selling handmade functional ceramic pieces. However, working as a full-time designer during the week and selling pottery on weekends soon became unfulfilling. Jeffery has always been fascinated by the idea of being a business owner and entrepreneur. Jeffery began to consider opening his own pottery studio. After a few years of refining the idea and months of hard work, Spiffy Pottery Studio officially opened for business in February 2025 —a welcoming creative space where people of all backgrounds can discover the joy of working with clay, learn new skills, and build meaningful connections through ceramics.

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A Flying Accident Led To Pottery | Hunter Vargo | Episode 1252

Hunter Vargo | Episode 1252

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Hunter Vargo started Hucks Pottery shortly after a life changing crash while speed flying his parachute. As Hunter went through recovery tea had become a huge part of his daily routine. As it became apparent that Hunter’s physical body wouldn’t allow him to return to flying professionally it was time for him to pursue another interest. Teaware!

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Reels That Grab Attention | Nate Miller | Episode 1251

Nate Miller | Episode 1251

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Nathaniel “Nate” Miller went full-time as a potter in 2026 after twenty years of filmmaking and video editing. Nate’s Burbank, CA studio makes handcrafted functional ceramic housewares with a playful taste of science fiction and futurism.

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Procreate For A Potter | Naomi Peterson | Episode 1250

Naomi Peterson | Episode 1250

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Naomi Peterson is a full-time ceramic artist based in Kansas City, Missouri. Naomi received her MFA in ceramics from the University of North Texas (2021) and her BFA in ceramics at the University of Wyoming (2017). Naomi has been an artist-in-residence at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, participated in the Neltje artist-in-residence program in 2018, and recently participated in the Winter 2025 Pentaculum at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts; currently Naomi is an artist-in-residence at KC Clay Guild. In 2024, Ceramics Monthly selected Naomi as a 2024 Emerging Artist. Naomi has taught at various institutions nationally such as the Glassell School of Art and Art League Houston in addition to teaching workshops online and in person.

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It’s A “Real” Job | Nicole Kluba | Episode 1249

Nicole Kluba | Episode 1249

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Nicole Kluba is the owner of Kluba Ceramics and lives in the town of Seagrove, North Carolina. Seagrove is a small, rural town which also happens to be the pottery capital of the US. Nicole has grown up in Seagrove and has been exposed to pottery not only in the community, but in her family as well. Before Nicole began creating pottery full time in March 2024, she worked in emergency services for four and a half years until she left at age 23 to pursue pottery as a career.

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Clay Con West | Joe & Emilie Bott | Episode 1248

Joe & Emilie Bott | Episode 1248

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Joe and Emilie Bott are the owners and operators of The Tilted Kiln and the creators of Clay Con West, which they founded in 2018. Joe and Emilie are passionate about bringing the clay community together through creativity, education, and connection. When they are not working in the studio or organizing events, Joe and Emilie enjoy spending time with their family and sharing their love of ceramics with others.
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Wholesale On An Island | Esther Drone | Episode 1247

Esther Drone | Episode 1247

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Esther Drone is a potter and ceramic artist based in Langford on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Esther has facilitated a variety of groups as a pottery instructor. Esther’s work is predominately functional and is currently available in a variety of shops in the Greater Victoria area.

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