The Impact of NCECA | Erin Shafkind | Episode 1218

Bex Walker is a UK-based potter and founder of Throw to Fire. Bex creates wheel-thrown ceramics from stained clay, characterized by a contemporary aesthetic that blends simple elegance with everyday functionality. Bex also teaches other makers about branding, marketing, and selling ceramics sustainably. https://ThePottersCast.com/1222

Anthony Carrillo began his pottery journey in San Diego, CA and is now apprenticing with Simon Levin in Illinois. Anthony's past year has been centered around wood firing, kiln building, and developing a comprehensive body of work. Anthony has assisted in two train kiln builds and helped design and build two small wood-soda kilns. Anthony's playful altered forms display expressive gestural movement and applied textures that interact with the atmosphere in the kiln. https://ThePottersCast.com/1221

Former textile engineer and yoga teacher, Carine Belloc discovered her calling in ceramics inspired by feminine cycles, seasons, and nature. Creating handmade ritual objects, Carine invites women to reconnect with their sacred rhythms and inner power. Carine's creations encourage an authentic, joyful life in harmony with the cycles of life. https://ThePottersCast.com/1220

Joris Link is a Netherlands-based ceramic artist known for his refined craftsmanship and contemporary approach to slipcasting porcelain. Joris' work blends traditional and modern techniques, creating sculptural pieces that emphasize texture, balance, and subtle detail. Through experimentation and precision, Joris explores form, material, and the quiet beauty of ceramics. The resulting works are in constant dialogue with the moulds that gave them their shape. https://ThePottersCast.com/1219

Erin Shafkind is an artist, writer, and educator living in Seattle, WA. Erin studied art and earned a BA and teaching certificate at California State University, Humboldt and received an MFA from Lesley University's College of Art and Design in Boston. Erin has been teaching art in Seattle Public Schools since 1998. These days Erin hand-builds and throws on the pottery wheel using stoneware and porcelain and occasionally works with earthenware clay bodies. Erin writes about art and artists for national magazines and local galleries. https://ThePottersCast.com/1218

One of the great things ab0ut NCECA what happens after NCECA is shut down for the day. All around the city potters have gotten together to do their own special events... Popups! And they are so much fun. This popup was called Not My Hobby Popup and it will give you a flavor of the night life popups. https://ThePottersCast.com/1217

Ella Watson and Rainy Bray set out on a mission to make glazes more accessible... Founded by studio owner Rainy and glaze scientist Ella, Five Glaze combines creative vision with scientific precision to deliver dry batch glaze systems that make custom color development accessible, affordable, and exciting for potters at every level. https://ThePottersCast.com/1216

One of the main attractions at NCECA every year is the vendor hall in the main hall. Every potters dream tool and tools we've never even dreamed of. So many amazing resources! This year I decided to interview a few of these vendors. https://ThePottersCast.com/1215

Dr Cathy Franzi is a ceramic artist based in Canberra. Cathy's science background inspires her approach to representing plants and the environment. In 2015 Cathy was awarded a PhD from the Australian National University School of Art & Design, the culmination of four years of intense research into the intersection of ceramic studio practice, botanical science and printmaking. https://ThePottersCast.com/1214

Neeti Gokhalay Kheny is a ceramic artist and former graphic designer whose practice is inspired by nature, particularly the ocean and its fragile ecosystems. Drawing from shells, corals, and anemone-like forms, Neeti creates sculptural works marked by intricate ornamentation and architectural sensibilities. Neeti's work explores reverence as resistance, inviting reflection on ecological fragility, conservation, and our evolving relationship with water and shared responsibility. https://ThePottersCast.com/1213