The Kiln Sitters

We are back and happy to bring you a live recording that happened at the 2023 NCECA conference in Richmond, VA. Today's episode features a conversation with Carole Epp, Naomi Clement, Diana Adams, and Sarah Pike about their approach to making a living as a potter in the digital age. Each of these four trailblazing artists has figured out how to make a living as a full-time potter on their own term...

We are back from our hiatus to bring you a live recording that happened at the 2023 New Clay Conference in Ottawa, ON. Carole and Marianne talk with presenters Martina Lantin, Zoe Pinnell, Marina Lespérance Lopez, and our co-host Ben Carter (Tales of a Red Clay Rambler). We discuss the high-risk high-reward nature of ceramics, finding work/life balance as a parent, and the vibrant state of the Can...

To wrap up season 2, Brendan Tang talks with Toronto based artist Natalie Waddell. They make functional work and describe themselves as a maker of things. In the interview they talk about working across mediums and developing their signature darted and folded forms. Today's Kaolin Crushes are Elissa Barber , Goyer Bonneau , and Natania Nurenburg.   Today's episode is brought to you by:   For the p...

This week on the Kiln Sitters Marianne sits down with Cilia Sawadogo, a renowned animation and film artist who is taking on the medium of ceramics. Cilia shares her path to learning the complexity of clay through her collaborations with several ceramic artists and residencies. She also discusses her participation in the local ceramic community, as well as the influence of popular culture in her ar...

Our host Carole Epp didn't travel far for today's episode where she sits down with Chad Berg of Saskatoon Clayworks. The two chat about the health of the local ceramic community, its steady growth even during Covid, and the space that Chad has provided for makers to hone their craft. Saskatchewan has a long vibrant history of ceramics deserving of international recognition; from historical influen...

Today we open up The Kiln Sitters mail bag for a special episode on education. The gang talk about being an international student, studio options after leaving school, and strategies for paying for your education. A big thank you to the listeners who submitted their questions. If you have questions or comments shoot us an email us at kilnsitters@gmail.com.   Today's episode is brought to you by:  ...

On this episode Brendan sits down with Heidi McKenzie , a Toronto-based mixed media artist. In their conversation they talk about Mckenzie's ceramic practice, the inclusion of photography, augmented reality, and Modernism. They also talked about Mckenzie's scholarly and EDI work in the ceramic community. McKenzie has an active exhibition schedule, including RECLAIMED: Indo-Caribbean HerStories now...

On today's episode Marianne talks with Wai-Yant Li, a professional ceramist living in Montreal QC, about many aspects of being a full-time ceramic artist, including the realities of participating in large craft sales and how to sustain a potter business over time. Wai-Yant shares their path to being a potter, their investment in their community, and ways in which they create inclusive spaces withi...

On this week's episode Brendan sits down with Toni Losey , a ceramic artist based on the east coast of Canada. They chat about the not so straight forward path to being an artist, as well as creating space for one's practice. Before the interview, the Kiln Sitters themselves talk about their own "sliding door" moments in their lives. Today's Kaolin Crushes are:  Maria Moldovan , Mel Arsenault , Mi...

This week on the Kiln Sitters, Carole sits down with Julie Mackinnon to discuss the incredible work she does as a master maker for over 20 years, and also how she has transformed the lives of so many in her community through the Hey Julie School of Clay. From humble beginnings bringing clay to the locals on Salt Spring Island, to fundraising and building the school/studio of her dreams, we find ou...

This week on the kiln sitters, Marianne sits down with Montreal based artist Paul Guidera to talk about his practice, his current residency experience at Medalta and his career path from France to Canada. Join them for this hybrid French - English interview as they get honest about the process of making, the importance of stepping away from our comfort zone, and their residency experiences. Before...

Brendan sits down with visual artist KC Adams , during the Canadian Clay Symposium held at the Shadbolt Centre in Burnaby British Columbia. In their conversation they talk about traditional ways of knowing and contemporary art practices. Before the chat, the gang got together to unpack how they are looking at decolonizing their own practices in the studio and in the class. Today's Kaolin Crushes a...

On this week's episode Carole sits down with Susannah Montague , to discuss her incredible career as a sculptor utilizing the clay medium to visually travel through time to associate historical vanitas with contemporary themes of life and death through a strong pop surrealism lens. Confronting as well as inviting, her work explores the depths of the human condition or as she states, "a frenetic ce...

On today's show Brendan co-hosts a panel with Virgil Ortiz and Justin Paik Reese (The Shot Callers), and special guest P. J. Anderson on the influence of Sci-Fi, game play, and world-building in art. They talk about inclusive landmarks in Sci-Fi and how they have been influenced by the genre. The discussion was recorded live in Cincinnati as part of this year's NCECA conference.   Today's episode...

On today's show Marianne co-hosts a panel with Ben Carter (Tales of a Red Clay Rambler), and special guests Julia Galloway and Ché R. Ochtli on taking an environmental approach to making. We talk about practical sustainability and the ways you can lessen your studio's environmental impact. Julia and Ché are members of NCECA's Green Task Force, which has many resources on this topic posted on their...

On this week's episode, Marianne talks with the multidisciplinary artist Ito Laila LeFrançois. They discuss how their relationship with natural spaces inform their practices, and their shared love and influence from the artist Ana Mendieta. Ito also talks about her creative process and how motherhood has influenced her work. For this week's Kaolin Crush the gang talk about Léopold L. Foulem, an ic...

Brendan and Clint sit down next to Clint's two cubic foot wood fired test kiln to chat about his path in the world of ceramics. They cover topics ranging from Ford flat tops, being introduced to the extended family of ceramics, working with the amazing Rebecca Belmore , and his time in the military. Before the interview the gang chats about the pros and cons of working in a rural versus urban sett...

Carole sits down this week with Toluwalope to chat about his contribution to the field of ceramic art and his extensive research of materials. His impressive large-scale throwing skills pull together age old African and Asian pottery techniques with contemporary themes and references in particular to African textiles. Today's Kaolin crushes are: Jen Wicks , Roger Akasadjuak and Atelier Make .   To...

This week on the Kiln sitters, Marianne sits down with the amazing Québec city artist Amélie Proulx. They dive into material transformation and Amélie's relationship with the medium of porcelain. She also shares her experience working on large scale projects within Québec's Integration of Art in Public Spaces program and her new research into local raw ceramic material. To learn more visit www.ame...

Brendan sits down with a former student of his Shaun Mallonga, to catch up on all of his artistic endeavors. They cover conversations around education, artist residencies, functional works as a vehicle to talk about identity, the monster and the "Bawdy". Topics covered and folks mentioned are: Emma Canning , Amelia Butcher , A Blue Fire by James Hillman, Deformed Discourse: The Function of the Mon...

On today's episode join Carole as she chats with Isabel Ochoa and James Clarke-Hicks of OCH Ceramics. They talk about how they went from studying architectural design together to creating exquisite works in clay that explore the intersection of 3D printed ceramics and light, as well as 3d printed architectural components. To start the episode the group chats about Brendan's new exhibition with San...

On today's episode our host Marianne sits down with Montreal based multi talent artist Mérida Anderson. Join them for this ceramic heart to heart about the reality of being a full time ceramist, and Merida's journey from fashion design and photography to running a Vegan Supper Club. They also talk about the joy of making miniature food and objects as a hobby. To embark into Merida's world of origi...

This week, Brendan sits down with emerging artist Leandra Brandson . Their conversation explores the ups and downs of being a young emerging ceramic artist in Canada, as well as the balancing act involved in being someone who likes to work in other mediums. Before that the gang discusses how working in other materials helps their clay practice. This week's Kaolin Crushes are Tessa Reed , Matthew O...

This week Carole sits down with Susan Lavoie, Lindsay Gravelle and Gudrun Olafsdottir of Inspirations Studios . Since 1994, this Toronto-based craft collective and ceramic studio has contributed to the lives of women, gender diverse, and non-binary artists by providing pottery and business classes with the ultimate goal of reducing homelessness and marginalization in Toronto. Join Carole as she si...

In this week's episode, Carole and Marianne come together to converse with artists Sami Tsang, Grace Han, and Sarah Pike about their experience as presenters at the New Clay Conference in Ottawa. They discuss the content of the event and share the great sense of community that came from being with the attendees. This week's Kaolin Crushes are Monique Skelton , Kerri Jerome , and Marianne Chemla ....