The Mud Peddlers: Ceramic Art Behind the Scenes

Even though they weren’t at NCECA, Lindsey and Donte had a grand time chatting ceramics and tea with local tea aficionado and Sacramento business owner Linda of Tea Cozy. There’s talk of Tea 101 for the leaf-curious, the connection between tea and the vessels used to drink it, and how you can save some cash on your next matcha latte -- 'cuz it's gettin' crazy out there. Need a cuppa? Want to do co...

Last year’s highlights. This year’s hopes. Lindsey and Donte are back for a late New Year’s check-in. There’s talk of glaze calculators, post-apocalyptic merchants, and Donte’s unexpected…marriage? _____ About Your Hosts Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning ceramic artist who makes mugs and creature sculptures inspired by history, folklore, and geek culture. They have been working in clay since 20...

Lindsey and Donte catch up after coming back from two very different trips. There’s talk of Lindsey’s aesthetic aspirations, Donte’s change of heart with Mason stains, and why sometimes sh*t feels so crazy you gotta have at least a few minutes of freshman poli-sci in a ceramics podcast. _____ About Your Hosts Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning ceramic artist who makes mugs and creature sculpture...

Ever thought about teaching a workshop or class? Lindsey and Donte chat about their experiences teaching, and share some tips for both beginners and those with some experience. There’s talk of class structure, communication styles…and how a switch on your pottery wheel can make you a better teacher. Interested in mocha diffusion? In the Syracuse, NY area? Sign up for Donte’s Workshop with Clayscap...

Clay types and cooling rates and glaze absorption oh my! Donte sits down with Carmen Allen ( @shapethevoidstudios ) of Mayco to chat about finding flexibility and customization through glaze testing. Donte also brings along questions from his students, and asks why those Mayco test tiles look like more than just teardrops.. Interested in mocha diffusion? In the Syracuse, NY area? Sign up for Donte...

We’re not. We promise. Here’s an update filled with new jobs, new glazes, and new things on the horizon. Interested in mocha diffusion? In the Syracuse, NY area? Sign up for Donte’s Workshop with Clayscapes! _____ About Your Hosts Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning ceramic artist who makes mugs and creature sculptures inspired by history, folklore, and geek culture. They have been working in cla...

Join Donte for a chat with Cory Brown (@corybrownceramics) and Stephen Creech (@creechoftheeast) of AMACO Brent. There’s talk of the behind-the-scenes of product development, wading through glaze mysteries, and dream projects for these ceramics nerds.  Thank you so much Cory and Stephen for taking your time to chat with The Mud Peddlers! _____ About Your Hosts Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning...

Donte walks Lindsey along his road busting some myths about mocha diffusion. There’s talk of viscous fingering, authority figures and critical thinking, and curiosity.  Have you ever tried mocha diffusion in your work?  P.S. This video was recorded a week ago, so Donte’s video should be out next week, and Donte’s patrons should have early access now!  _____ About Your Hosts Lindsey M Dillon is an...

Donte chats with Jim Skutt and Chad Stewart of Skutt. Yes. That Skutt. There’s talk of firing best practices, the future of ceramics education, some really impactful new projects coming down the pipeline, Donte’s ultimate kiln feature wish list…and the definitive answer to how many peep holes to leave open during a firing.  What would you have asked Skutt if you were sitting with Donte in this epi...

Lindsey interviews Donte about his recent experience at NCECA, or the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts. There's talk of new clays, celebrity meetups, how Donte managed his social battery...and some ceramics world royalty he got to meet >_> If you didn’t go to NCECA, were there any shared stories from the event that inspired you? If you went to NCECA, what’s a favorite memor...

It’s finally here. Head to  Clayscapes and get yourself Donte's new glaze. _____ About Your Hosts Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes mugs and creature sculptures inspired by history, folklore, and geek culture. They have been working in clay since 2007, and doing so professionally since 2014. Their supernatural powers haven't manifested yet, but it's ok, the...

Lindsey and Donte answer a question from listener @salnevarez_art about how to know what materials are going to become unavailable, and how to go about replacing an ingredient when it does. There’s talk of UMFs, glaze calculators, and way, way too many baking metaphors. Do you have a burning question for The Mud Peddlers? Send it to Lindsey at lindseymdillon@gmail.com .  _____ About Your Hosts Lin...

Lindsey and Donte chat with Sue McLeod, a giant in the online ceramics education world. There’s talk of transitioning to full time ceramic work, creating a marketing approach that meets your needs, and how non science majors can experience an inviting approach to glaze chemistry. Donte also finally gets to ask Sue his burning questions about iron oxide… What has your exposure been to glaze chemist...

Lindsey and Donte chat with Ben Carter – host of Tales of a Red Clay Rambler, founder of The Brickyard Network, and general artist and podcaster extraordinaire! There’s talk of how Ben got into clay and podcasting, how he’s made his career work for his mental and financial health, and why it’s important to “look at the footnotes”.  Plus, some of the most inspiring advice you could ask for. Mention...

Lindsey and Donte return after a break for the first episode of 2025! They chat about the highlights and lessons learned from 2024, as well as what 2025 has in store. There’s talk of changing work/life balances, glaze development, new classes, new glazes, the upcoming NCECA clay convention, and how to bring a little bit of Star Wars energy into your life. What’s one success you can celebrate from...

Lindsey and Donte chat about their experiences working with local businesses as another way to get their work out there. From pros and cons to best practices, these mud peddlers hope their stories will help you decide whether and how to tap into this part of your local creative economy. Have you ever sold your work through a local business? What’s some advice you might share with someone thinking...

Lindsey and Donte put together a list to help out with holiday gifts for clay people– whether you have a clay person in your life, or you are the clay person in your life. From classic quality-of-life picks to some potentially surprising suggestions, these mud peddlers hope you can find some inspiration in this holiday medley. What’s one of the most helpful gifts you’ve ever received, ceramics-rel...

**Election Day is Nov. 5th! Go to Vote.gov to find your local polling place and do a democracy!** Lindsey and Donte discuss the many ways you can use sculpture to expand the way you decorate your functional ware (whether wheel-thrown or hand-built). There’s talk of clay types, sculptural techniques, and how you might avoid some common pitfalls – as well as some trickier territory like pursuing rep...

**Do you have your voting plan? ^_^ Grab a buddy and participate in democracy together (then go get some ice cream or cake or some cheese, cuz you deserve it ;) ) Check your voter registration and find your polling place at Vote.gov** Lindsey and Donte introduce you to bentonite, a common ingredient in glaze-making.  From basic traits to baking analogies, these mud peddlers do their best to explai...

Lindsey and Donte chat about SacAnime Summer: the good, the bad, and the gross – gross income, that is… There’s talk of table positions, the price of goblets, and the never-ending challenge of figuring out what fandom to focus on. How do you evaluate your experience selling at an event? Do you sit down and write things out, have a discussion with friends…? Tell us in the comments or tag us on the...

Lindsey and Donte sit down to reflect on their experiences with Patreon. What’s been working? What have they changed? How can Patreon be useful for more than the income? They also dive into their perspectives on creating free community content vs content that’s behind a paywall, and what they want to bring their members in the future. What do you think is the best way to balance sharing free vs pa...

Big episode. Bigger career shifts. Biggest lessons learned. Join Lindsey and Donte for the 100th episode of The Mud Peddlers for where they’ve been and where they’re going.  What’s your clay journey like been so far? Where would you like to go next? Drop your thoughts in the comments, or send us a message @earthnationceramics or @lindseymdillon Join Lindsey and Donte for the 35th Anniversary show...

Lindsey and Donte do their best to define the tricky thing that is heatwork. What is it? What things affect it? Why is it making Lindsey crave cake? They also talk about a big business development for Donte. Curious for more information? Check out Sue McLeod’s blog about heatwork and pyrometric cones and Glazy’s article about heatwork:  https://suemcleodceramics.com/do-you-put-witness-cones-in-eve...

Lindsey and Donte talk about some of the things that might not seem ceramics-related, but actually make an impact on us in the studio. From the fear of small, irregular holes to EV’s, these mud peddlers have plenty to talk about… What non-clay thing has had an impact on your clay journey in terms of inspiration or tools? Drop your thoughts in the comments, or send us a message @earthnationceramics...

Lindsey and Donte introduce you to a few of the ingredients that make up a glaze. From talk of why Lithium isn’t just an Evanescence song to why you shouldn’t try and order “Rio” from your local clay store, they hope to give you a better understanding of these arcane ingredients that make glazes so dang pretty… Have you ever looked at a glaze recipe and felt overwhelmed? What ingredient/material w...