Bloom, baby, bloom

An update from Aimee & Clare about the current state of our lives (including some very exciting news!) and future plans for the show.Additional topics include: home renovations, working with glass and big magic.Stay light,Aimee & ClareOur theme music is by Nick Thompson-Brown at @wayitworksmusicSupport the show

The one and only Helen Levi joins us this week from Queens, New York! We talk about how she transitioned into pottery after studying photography, road tripping across the states to visit ceramic factories, and how her business and practice has shifted over time. Helen tells us about how she began slip casting for the effect, her recent tile collaboration with Cerámica Suro, and her instinctual approach to color. We also discuss the pros and cons of production pottery vs. the artist myth and the benefits of working holistically.Additional topics include: mopping hacks, car kilns, cup clubs, sidewalk sales and Willy Wonka.Stay mushy,Aimee & ClareOur theme music is by Nick Thompson-Brown at @wayitworksmusicRate, review and subscribe (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-slip-cast/)Support the show

Dustin Barzell from Ceramicism creates intricate cups using a colored clay inlay technique. Inspired by the polymer clay craze of the 90s, he started layering slab-rolled clay at a community studio in Brooklyn before discovering the wonderful world of nerikomi and agateware.Dustin shares with us his process of mixing colored clay and how he constantly comes up with fresh designs to add to his ever-expanding repertoire of inlaid patterns. We also take a dive into the connection between our emotional and physical being through creative outlets, ceramics as a healing journey vs. the intellectual pursuit of being a part-time lawyer, and how improv-based acting (Meisner Technique) restored his artistic framework and influenced his improvised and joy-filled ceramic compositions.Meanderings include discussions about the deliciously rounded letters in "ice cream", chapped lips, newsletter bliss, a wide variety of (unsponsored) platforms that can help you run a business, the irony behind ceramicism.football, and how smiling while you talk can change everything.A thousand flowers,Aimee & ClareOur theme music is by Nick Thompson-Brown at @wayitworksmusicRate, review and subscribe (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-slip-cast/)Support the show

Alex Simon from Make Good Choices joins us this week from her magical studio in Portland, Oregon. Alex is a sparkle queen who blesses us all with her dream pots, and her dreams include everything from pickles to unicorns to denim! She tells us about her edu'clay'tion and how summer camp continues to inspire her extraordinary studio music videos. Alex also talks about her slip casting process- including assembling both found objects and vintage molds, working backwards from your final idea for a piece, and moving through the production process in stages.  We also learn about investing in your business, gold decal methods and Alex's wonderfully complex relationships with various glues as she continues to bedazzle the world.This episode contains dramatic behind the scenes story telling, heart bursting encouragement, consistent uplifting of community over competition and finding joy in your own brand of magic. Not to be missed!Spread the sparkle,Aimee & ClareOur theme music is by Nick Thompson-Brown at @wayitworksmusicRate, review and subscribe (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-slip-cast/)Support the show

This episode features the ceramicist  Genna Williams from Genna Williams Ceramics. We talk about her beginnings at SCAD where she studied furniture design, how she founded Broad Studios, a female-operated art collective in Austin, TX, and finding a balance between running a community studio and her own full-time business. Genna goes over the process behind the "smoke firing" technique that she is now known for, how she designs and assembles her lamps, and some exciting upcoming projects, including the launch of a brick and mortar store! Deviations include getting in trouble with the French fire department during her 10-week residency in the south of France, the anatomy of a lamp, ideas seeking "hosts", NCECA, and of course...more talk about promoting a small business on social media.Burn bright,Aimee & ClareOur theme music is by Nick Thompson-Brown at @wayitworksmusicRate, review and subscribe (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-slip-cast/)Support the show

An electrical episode with Kyle Scott Lee from Ceramic Meltdown in which we talk about his painting background, inspiration, and how the 3-dimensional form has become a canvas for his various, vivid, and gestural underglaze applications. Kyle also runs a studio in Brooklyn and dives into the importance of investing, managing, and sharing the space with others.Tangents include talks about the physical hardships of throwing 50lbs of clay, getting the right feel and weight to a pot, and his existing and upcoming brand partnerships and shows.Shine bright,Aimee & ClareOur theme music is by Nick Thompson-Brown at @wayitworksmusicSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theslipcast)Rate, review and subscribe (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-slip-cast/)Support the show

A conversation with the Asheville, North Carolina based potter, teacher, and wild clay forager, Melissa Weiss! Melissa talks with us about everything from how she began using wild clay to how her process and rhythm has changed over the past couple years to her current clay hiatus while she works on an advanced EMT Certificate. We discuss the art of hollowing out / carving clay to create a vessel (known as Kurinuki in Japan) and how this technique shaped her work (as well as some tips and tricks!). Melissa also describes her method for processing 2000 lbs of clay from Arkansas every year, her inventive practice for gas kiln reduction, mixing glazes, running a community studio space and breaking clay rules.Other topics include: food motivated cats, frozen clay, being a rebellious teen, word blending, MedMath, and the Freedom House Ambulance Service.Go wild,Aimee & ClareOur theme music is by Nick Thompson-Brown at @wayitworksmusicSupport the show

Lalese Stamps from Lolly Lolly Ceramics joins us this week and we couldn't be more thrilled! Lalese talks to us about everything from her background in graphic design to her recent residency with Saint Heron to moving from a basement studio in Columbus, Ohio into a large space in her hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We chat about the 100 Day Project and how it influenced the trajectory of Lolly Lolly as well as how it continues to inspire.  Lalese also tells us about Lolly Lolly's transition into slip cast production and their process around creating new products.Additional topics include:  sleep schedules, door knobs as handles, the considerate nature of Monstera plants, fried cheese curds, and the importance of believing you can do anything you want.Let's go!Aimee & ClareOur theme music is by Nick Thompson-Brown at @wayitworksmusicSupport the show

In this week's episode we chat with Josephine Noel, the  ceramicist behind Recreation Center! Josephine joins us from her bustling studio in Red Hook, New York to tell us about everything from the origin of her signature rubber handle to her first foray in glassware. We talk about how the Great Recession and farm-to-table clay changed her course and the many lives of Recreation Center.  We also discuss the pros of wholesale, the cons of shipping, and how making is priority above all else.  Other topics include: fire sprinkler fears, the enduring debate around art vs. craft, ways to make neutral work appear more colorful, the architectural parallels of Argentina and Paris, and what could possibly be in that secret recipe for lava lamps! Lots of love and lava,Aimee & ClareOur theme music is by Nick Thompson-Brown at @wayitworksmusicSupport the show

Please stand by while we chat with Haley Ann Bradley from Studio Hecha this week! Despite some technical difficulties, we manage to cover topics ranging from trend forecasting to leftover dinners.  Haley talks to us about how she became a choreographer of clay, the evolution of the Personality Cup, some hot tips for our future selves and the positivity of a newsletter. Other topics include creating the dolphin cursor, magical beans vs. compare culture, and cups with handles.Post in peace, Aimee & ClareOur theme music is by Nick Thompson-Brown at @wayitworksmusicSupport the show