Colour and Ceramics

In this episode of Colour & Ceramics, Bob Acton @bobacton talks with Jasen Robillard of StumpCraft about the fascinating process of transforming artists’ work into intricate wooden puzzles.

We also begin with a short conversation with Nichole Windblad from Art Market Craft Sale, someone Jasen credits with helping him develop his business.

It’s a conversation about art, craft, collaboration, and the people who help creative businesses grow.

Find Jasen and Stumpcraft here:

https://www.stumpcraft.com/

https://www.instagram.com/stumpcraft/

Find Nichole and Art Market Craft Sale...

My guest on the latest episode of Colour & Ceramics is Calgary ceramic artist Mindy Andrews.

Mindy’s work is deeply rooted in nature, from the forests of northwestern Ontario where she grew up to the landscapes of the Canadian Rockies where she has lived for more than 20 years.

Working primarily in porcelain, she uses slips, underglazes, painting, and carving to create vessels and sculptural pieces inspired by trees, flowers, bark, light, and the atmosphere of the forest.

We talk about her connection to nature, how landscape influences her ceramic practice, and the ideas an...

On today's show, Bob Acton @bobacton, interviews Deana Bada Maloney, an Illinois-based ceramic artist and wildlife sculptor whose work brings together hand-built clay, animal anatomy, drawing, expressive surface, and mixed media.

With a background in drawing, painting, anatomy, and scientific illustration, Deana has developed a highly observational approach to ceramic sculpture. She often thinks about working in clay as a form of three-dimensional drawing, using gesture, texture, and carefully observed anatomy to build animals that feel both physically convincing and full of character.

Teaching has also become an important part of Deana’s practice. Through wo...

My guest today is Drew Caines, a ceramic artist based in Leeds in the north of England who has been working with clay for almost 30 years.

Drew creates richly textured, often sculptural work that brings together influences from very different points in human history. He draws inspiration from ancient Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic art, folklore and ethnography, while also pulling in contemporary influences such as street art and Pop art.

There is a wonderful sense of something both ancient and strangely familiar in Drew's work. Pattern, texture and intricate detail are central to his making...

In this episode of Colour & Ceramics, Bob Acton @bobacton speaks with Susie Kathol, a ceramic artist, wildlife biologist, and botanist based in Revelstoke, BC.

Susie brings her scientific knowledge and deep connection to the natural world into her ceramic practice, using sgraffito to carve images of plants and wildlife into the surfaces of her work.

We talk about the relationship between science and art, learning ceramics within a supportive studio community, and how close observation of the natural world can find its way into clay.

A lovely conversation about curiosity, nature, and developing...

SPECIAL EDITION: In this episode of the Colour & Ceramics Podcast, we explore the Surface Stories Collective, https://surfacestoriescollective.lovable.app/, a Toronto-based initiative bringing non-ceramic artists from equity-deserving communities into the world of ceramic surface design.

Through workshops, studio sessions, and a culminating exhibition at Gallery 1065 from July 24 to August 2, participants are expanding their creative practices, experimenting with clay, and building new connections across Toronto’s arts communities.

It is an inspiring conversation with Natalie Waddell https://claygirl.ca and Christina Leslie https://www.christinaleslie.com/ about access, collaboration, and the possibilities that emerge when ar...

My guest today is British ceramic sculptor Paul Smith, who has worked full-time from his studio in North Derbyshire since 1998. Paul is known for his bold, semi-abstract animal sculptures, combining simplified forms with expressive, richly layered surfaces.

Inspired by ancient sculpture and pottery, Inuit and folk art, and his lifelong fascination with the natural world, Paul is especially drawn to horses, cattle, wolves, bears, and big cats. His recent work uses layers of slips, engobes, oxides, and underglazes to create sculptures that feel like treasured objects, marked by age and history.

Alongside his studio practice...

This week we're joined by Mary Fox, a self-taught BC potter who turned a lifetime of "learning at the school of hard knocks" into an acclaimed artistic career. Mary shares her journey from functional pottery to exploratory art, her approach to surface design and colour, and why she created the Legacy Project Apprentice Program — a rare two-year apprenticeship helping young Canadian potters become studio professionals. 🎧 Listen now!

See her work and all about her apprentice program https://maryfoxpottery.ca/

In this episode, Bob Acton joined by interdisciplinary artist Kristine Zingeler.

Kristine works across photography, collage, drawing, painting, and sculpture, creating subtle but powerful work that explores interconnectedness, time, and the constant state of change in both humanity and the natural world.

Her practice begins with close observation and collecting, giving new significance to rocks, feathers, nests, insects, plants, and other overlooked fragments of the everyday. Her recent work moves beautifully between image and object, ancient and immediate, tiny and monumental.

Listen in for a thoughtful conversation about attention, process, material, and the...

This week on Colour and Ceramics, Bob Acton is joined by Sarah Pike, one of Canada’s top ceramic artists. Sarah is a full-time potter based in Fernie, British Columbia, where she makes functional slab-built pottery from her home studio. Her work carries a wonderful sense of movement and personality, shaped by the mountain landscape around her and inspired by antique tinware, textured metal, and old handmade objects. Sarah studied ceramics at ACAD in Calgary, and also studied at the University of Colorado and the University of Minnesota. It was a real pleasure to talk with her about clay, ma...

In this episode of the Colour and Ceramics Podcast @colourandceramics I @bobacton speak with Calgary potter Teresa Wyss @teresawysspottery about her striking functional ceramics, made with porcelain stoneware and decorated using hand-carved sgraffito. Inspired by wildlife, landscape, and the vivid colours of nature, her work has a bold, graphic presence that really stands out.We also talked about something many artists wrestle with: the business side of art making. From delegation to managing time and energy, Teresa shared thoughtful insights into what it takes to sustain a creative practice beyond the studio bench.

See her work on...

Today on the Colour and Ceramics Podcast, host Bob Acton shares his interview with Robbin Harris.

Robbin Harris is a crystalline ceramic artist based in Calgary, Alberta, whose creative path reflects both resilience and reinvention. A former jazz musician, Robbin turned to clay after a life-changing accident ended his drumming career, discovering ceramics in 2017 under the mentorship of Dave Settles at Fairview Studios.

His artistic direction shifted again in 2020 when he encountered crystalline glazes, a discovery that opened a deep exploration into their unpredictable beauty and technical complexity. Through a practice rooted in experimentation, Robbin...

This week Bob Acton @bobacton joined by ceramic and installation artist Heidi McKenzie, whose work uses clay and image as archive—exploring ancestry, migration, race, and belonging through powerful abstract portraiture.

From Reclaimed: Indo-Caribbean HerStories to the Indian Ceramics Triennale in Delhi, Heidi’s work reminds us that ceramics can hold memory, heal, and tell the stories history forgets.

Check out her work at https://www.heidimckenzie.ca/

I’m thrilled to welcome Gillian Boon to the podcast, an Alberta-based ceramic artist whose work carries the pulse of the ocean, even from the heart of the prairies.

Inspired by coral reefs, tide pools, and the intense blues and greens of Grassi Lakes, Gillian’s ceramics explore movement, surface, and a deep sense of place. We talk about making ocean-driven work far from the sea, the role of teaching and community in a studio life, and how landscape leaves its mark on clay.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

#ColourAndCeramics #CanadianCeramics #Ceramic...

This week I’m @bobacton joined on the Colour and Ceramics Podcast @colourandceramics by Australian ceramic artist Maricelle Olivier, whose work is deeply shaped by memory, landscape, and line.

Drawing inspiration from South Africa’s Kruger National Park, a place tied to generations of family history, Maricelle meticulously draws and etches every line into her ceramic surfaces. The result is a layered, rhythmic abstraction of landscape and emotion, brought to life through colour.

We talk about: • drawing as a way of remembering • surface as emotional terrain • translating childhood landscapes into contemporary ceramic language

🎙️ Now live on the...

Ceramic artist Shae Bishop joins me @bobacton on the Colour and Ceramics Podcast @colourandceramics this week for a rich conversation about material, curiosity, and community.

Shae’s practice moves between ceramics, textiles, and the body, shaped by residencies at places like the Archie Bray Foundation and Kohler Arts/Industry, and by years embedded in craft communities from North Carolina to Japan, Turkey, Mexico, and beyond.

🎙️ Now live on the Colour & Ceramics Podcast

🔗 Website Link https://www.shaebishop.com/

🔗 Instagram Link https://www.instagram.com/shae_bishop/

Meet Jane Sheppard, a UK-based ceramic artist whose hand-built, smoke-fired vessels echo ancient artefacts and the sacred threads of human experience. Her award-winning work blends ritual, memory, and earth-rooted simplicity—inviting us to pause, feel, and reconnect.

You can find Jane via her website here: https://www.janesheppard.me/ and her Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/rev_jane_sheppard/

Today, Bob Acton introduces us to South African–born ceramic artist Susan Trimble who creates joyful, nature-inspired work from her Brisbane studio. After a long career in graphic design, she discovered clay in 2020 and quickly developed a distinctive practice shaped by painting, mark-making, and mentorship under artist Jane du Rand. A 2024 solo exhibitor and finalist in the North Queensland Ceramic Awards,

You can find her work at https://www.susantrimbleart.com.au/ and on her Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/susantrimble.artist/

Today, I’m excited to introduce you to Nicole Windblad, the creative force behind the Calgary Art Market.

Nicole isn’t just curating a show; she’s shaping opportunities. As someone who runs one of the most respected art markets in Alberta, she understands what makes artists stand out, what helps them succeed, and yes—what can hold them back. She, and her family, have many years of experience operating this show so she has great wisdom for artists and makers of all sorts.

In this conversation, you’ll hear what Nicole looks for when selecting...

Today, Bob and Zana interview ceramic artist and designer Emily Holmes on the Colour and Ceramics Podcast, who joins us from Los Angeles to talk about her practice of transforming familiar, textile-like forms into ceramic keepsakes. Emily’s background in Art Therapy at the Art Institute of Chicago shaped her early relationship with clay as a tool for healing, and later led her to open her studio full-time after relocating to LA.

You can find out more about Emily at https://www.emilyholmesceramics.com/ and on her Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/emilyholmesceramics/

Today's podcast introduces Peter Beard.

Peter first discovered clay as a kid, and that early fascination never really left him. While studying industrial and furniture design at Ravensbourne College of Art in London, he found himself spending more and more time in the ceramics department. After graduating, he helped set up a pottery in Scotland making domestic stoneware, and not long after, opened his own studio in Kent where sculpture became his main focus.

These days, Peter works from his studio in Leamington Spa, creating stoneware pieces that are both thrown and hand-built. He fires...

I’m excited to welcome Miae Kim—a London-based ceramic artist originally from South Korea. After a career in animation and VFX in L.A., she fell in love with clay at Glendale College and never looked back. Miae is known for two threads: sculptural pieces inspired by whales—symbols of wisdom and endurance—and work that blends Korean motifs and Hangul with Western aesthetics. She’s a 2024 London Potters award winner and a selected member of the Craft Potters Association.

You can find her work on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/miae_kim_ceramics/ and on her web...

Today we’re stepping into the strange, beautiful world of Canadian sculptor David Altmejd. Born in Montreal in 1974 and now based in Los Angeles, David is obsessed with what makes a person a person—the body, yes, but also the mind, imagination, and whatever we mean by ‘soul.’ His figures often feel like they’re falling apart and coming together at the same time, opening little doorways into places beyond what we normally recognize.

What blows me away is his materials list: clay and foam next to mirror, quartz, resin, and even human and synthetic hair. He’s just as co...

We’ve got an exciting show today talking with the wonderful Carol Long — a ceramic artist whose work blooms with the influence of plant and animal life. Infused with joy, whimsy, and a deep connection to nature, Carol’s intricate, organic forms reflect her Kansas farm roots and a lifelong curiosity for the beauty around her. Her pieces can be found in galleries and museums across the U.S., and she’s shared her artistry in workshops nationwide. From childhood experiments with mud to internationally recognized ceramic sculpture, Carol’s journey is one of imagination, craftsmanship, and an ever-evolving exploratio...

Today on the podcast, Bob Acton @bobacton is joined by Brooklyn-based ceramic artist Kyle Scott Lee @ceramicmeltdown. Known for his bold use of color, expressive brushwork, and inventive surface treatments, Kyle’s work bridges tradition and innovation. Over the past two decades, he’s developed a distinctive style combining classical vessel forms with vibrant, abstract design. His ceramics have been exhibited internationally, featured in major publications, and collected across the globe. Kyle is a founding member of BKLYN CLAY, teaches at GasworksNYC, and currently collaborates with brands like West Elm, bringing his dynamic vision to a wide audience.

Ky...

Today’s featured artist is Carmen D’Apollonio, sculptor who explores everything from abstraction to figuration in her ceramic practice. Self-taught in ceramics, Carmen creates sculptural lighting and vessels that fuse craftsmanship with functionality, often infused with humour. As she puts it, “My work is simple; it often gives way to humor. As if clay had its way of being, its own personality.”

Carmen began her creative career as an art director for short films and commercials in the 90s. She then worked alongside artist Urs Fischer for over a decade before launching her own fashion brand, Ikou Tsc...

Join us on the Colour and Ceramics Podcast today as our host Bob Acton @bobacton strums up an exciting conversation with Vancouver's vibrant artist Suzy Birstein @suzy_birstein! Hold onto your mugs as we dive into Suzy's world of whimsical, figurative ceramic works and paintings. Ready for some artful chit-chat? Tune in! Check out her work at https://www.suzybirstein.com/

Join Bob, Jess, and Rob Sutherland, founders of Good Dirt Studio in Athens, Georgia—a dynamic ceramics space dedicated to creativity, community, and clay on today's podcast episode.

As artists and educators, Jess and Rob have cultivated a welcoming environment where students of all levels can explore the joy of working with their hands. Through their thoughtful teaching and community-focused approach, they’ve built more than just a studio—they’ve created a space for connection, curiosity, and artistic growth. Today on Colour and Ceramics, we talk about their journey, their philosophy on teaching, and how they’re shaping...

Bob Acton, the host of the Colour and Ceramics Podcast, shares his conversation with CJ Jilek.

CJ creates beautiful, colourful work that is inspired by the sensuality of nature. Her work explores the connection between botanical forms and human sexuality. By abstracting flower blooms and focusing on their reproductive elements, she invites viewers to engage with themes of beauty, desire, and attraction—drawing subconscious links between the natural world and human instinct..

Her work can be found on her Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/cjjilek/ and on her website at https://cjjilekartist.wordpress.co...

Welcome to today’s episode! In this conversation, Bob sits down with the incredibly talented Emily Stubbs to dive into her journey with clay—how it all began, the evolution of her stunning work, and some fascinating insights into the techniques she uses in her ceramics practice.

Emily’s work is both playful and refined, with a unique voice that really stands out in the world of contemporary ceramics.

You can check out her creations at emilystubbs.com and follow her studio life on Instagram @emilystubbsceramics.

Let’s get into it—enjoy the show!

Sandy Brown is a renowned British ceramic artist celebrated for her expressive, spontaneous approach to clay. Her work is characterized by bold colors, free-flowing brushwork, and an energetic, intuitive style that challenges conventional ceramic traditions. After being introduced to ceramics in Japan, Sandy learned there that pots can be dynamic, exciting, free, and irregular. She has since built an international reputation, creating large-scale installations, sculptural ceramics, and functional pottery that exude a sense of freedom and joy. With a career spanning decades, Brown continues to push boundaries, inspiring both artists and collectors with her dynamic, uninhibited approach to ceramics.<...

Welcome to the Colour and Ceramics Podcast. Today's episode is with Karen Adams from Lush Brush Studios.

Karen is a sculptor and painter based in Roswell, Georgia in the USA. She does some lovely sculptures using multi-media and found objects. You can find her website and Instagram sites here https://lush-brush.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/kalushbrush/

A big warm welcome to Jack Durling, a wonderful animal sculptor and conservationist from the UK. Jack @jackdurlingceramics and Bob Acton @bobacton had a great conversation about Jack's work, how he approaches his work and, of course, surface design.

You can find Jack at his website at https://www.jackdurling.co.uk/

Enjoy the show!

Bob Acton, host of the Colour and Ceramics Podcast, shares a lovely conversation he had with Susan Halls from Yorkshire in the UK. They talked her approach to ceramics and, of course, colour and surface design. I hope you enjoy the show.

Susan can be found on her website at https://susanhalls.com/ and on her Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/susanhallsceramicsuk/

Welcome to the Colour and Ceramics Podcast. I’m Bob Acton and I’m pleased to introduce you to the wonderful Sara Moorhouse.

Her work on ceramics, colour and spatial perception began with a master’s degree at Cardiff, Wales and then onto a PhD to develop the ideas with more emphasis upon spatial colour phenomena on a three-dimensional form.

She went beyond the basics of colour theory and tested out ideas on the conical form. She found that colours behave differently when viewed across three-dimensional space than on a two-dimensional surface, particularly on the inner...

Hey there, folks! We're thrilled to bring you Season 2 of the Colour and Ceramics Podcast @colourandceramics! Get ready for a heartwarming chat between our host, Bob Acton @bobacton, and the charismatic Anastassia Zamaraeva @a_zama_ceramics.

Anastassia, an incredible potter and art therapist hailing from London, shares her captivating journey in the realm of clay. We delve into how she cleverly intertwines clay into her art therapy while exploring the spellbinding world of colour and surface in ceramics.

So turn up the volume and join us for an unforgettable episode. Hope it brings as much...

Bob Acton shares his conversation with the Canadian ceramic artist Janet Macpherson. She began studying ceramics at Sheridan College, in Toronto, ON Canada and for six years operated a studio practice making functional ceramics, participating in exhibitions, and selling her work at various Toronto galleries. In 2008 she began her MFA in ceramics at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio where she explored a more figurative approach to ceramics. Janet held an artist-in-residence/faculty position at Sheridan College in the 2012 Fall Semester, and was an artist in residence at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto from 2011 - 2014. In 2013 she was...

Bob Acton shares his conversation with the Canadian ceramic artist Janet Macpherson. She began studying ceramics at Sheridan College, in Toronto, ON Canada and for six years operated a studio practice making functional ceramics, participating in exhibitions, and selling her work at various Toronto galleries. In 2008 she began her MFA in ceramics at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio where she explored a more figurative approach to ceramics. Janet held an artist-in-residence/faculty position at Sheridan College in the 2012 Fall Semester, and was an artist in residence at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto from 2011 - 2014. In 2013 she was...

Welcome to this episode with Russell Kingston from Devonshire in England. His roots are in North Devon where everyday medieval pots from that region drew him to this work. His pots are wheel thrown and slab built. Pots are to be used, so forms are simple and robust. Rims are rolled for strength and to mirror the chunky ring at the bottom; which is used for slipping and glazing. Handles are pulled from the pot as if they have grown there. Slip is dipped, poured, brushed, trailed and splashed with animated movements. Colour is achieved using oxides in slips...

This is a brief interview of Rick Rubin, author of The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Jay Shetty. Rick's written a fantastic book on creativity and his thoughts in this clip can be of value to all creative. I hope you enjoy it.

You can find Rick in every streaming service such as YouTube and you can find his book here https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/717356/the-creative-act-by-rick-rubin/9780593652886

You can find Jay Shetty here: https://www.jayshetty.me/