Lindsey and Donte discuss the answer to a question that always creeps up on people just getting into ceramics: What exactly is the difference between an oxidation and a reduction firing? They share that answer both in layman’s terms, and with a single pinkie toe in the chemistry behind it all. They also discuss other elements around the oxidation vs reduction battle, like how do you get a reduction look without doing a reduction firing, and what do you do if you’re a student with goals to contin...
Sep 13, 2022•21 min
Welcome to The Night Peddlers! In what may soon become a regular Patrons-only side show, The Night Peddlers is the top hat and brandy swilling side of The Mud Peddlers. Imagine Donte and Lindsey sitting by the fireside, talking to each other about their studio adventures, personal lives, and other behind the "behind-the-scenes" stories that wouldn't normally show up on The Mud Peddlers. With a mix of candor, humor, and clay, The Night Peddlers invite you to join them... Did you enjoy listening t...
Aug 30, 2022•34 min
Lindsey and Donte revisit what was once a mainstay in their creative worlds in the time before the ‘rona: selling at anime conventions! As Lindsey gets ready for her first in-person event since 2020 (SacAnime Summer on Labor Day weekend) she and Donte discuss some of the most-often-asked questions about preparing for an in-person selling event, and share some tips for folks who might be thinking about doing one for the first time. Whether you already have or will be selling at any event from an ...
Aug 16, 2022•1 hr 10 min
Lindsey and Donte check in on the progress of their 2022 goals. They share what they have accomplished (and what they learned from doing so) and what they’ve had to kick down the road a bit (and how they’re adapting their plans for the rest of the year). There’s talk of parenting as a potter, what mental blocks have kept some goals perpetually on the to-do list, and how these two artists have reacted to the pull between their work lives and their personal lives. How are your goals coming along s...
Jul 19, 2022•46 min
Lindsey and Donte share how they navigate making videos of their work for social media. From TikTok and Instagram Reels to Youtube, they discuss how they manage their video content,, the biggest challenges they face in creating videos, and some ways to make your own video content-creation a bit easier if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the ever-changing demands of the algorithm gods. How comfortable are you with taking videos of your work? What tip might you share with someone who is just getting ...
Jul 05, 2022•41 min
Lindsey and Donte dip their toes into the “big-brain” topic of ways to interpret art. Art can be moving and captivating. But it can also be intimidating. And confusing. And even straight up boring. Many of us can say we have a favorite genre of music, but not everyone feels sure enough to say what kind of art they like. Especially if it’s the kind of art that’s in galleries and museums. So, this week, Lindsey and Donte share some of the ways you can approach art. Not only to help art feel more a...
Jun 07, 2022•39 min
Lindsey and Donte talk about how they take photos. There’s talk of light, color, angles, backgrounds, editing tools, and the ever-important vibe of photographs -- and how it relates to their branding. They also share some tips that helped them as they started taking pictures of their work...there's even a little homework assignment for you to try out if you’re doing the same. What do you struggle with the most when you take photos? What’s one photography tip you've found the most helpful? Tell u...
May 24, 2022•40 min
Lindsey and Donte start out with a conversation about more pricing details, and how to balance skill, time, and rarity in pricing in your ceramic art… Which evolves into a lively debate about what makes something valuable. There’s discussion of social constructs, the lifecycle of fads, when properly valuing work becomes price gouging. And – of course – swirly mugs. How do you navigate the ambiguity of value when you’re looking to buy others’ work? Or when you’re figuring out the “right” price fo...
May 10, 2022•54 min
Lindsey and Donte answer a listener question about stamina in the studio – mental, physical, and creative stamina. Alongside some practical tips about how to get the most out of your time on the wheel, Donte and Lindsey discuss their sometimes differing philosophies about when to push through emotional blocks, whether to focus on production consistency or a unique artistic calling, and how to avoid old mistakes when starting a new project. A huge thanks to Natalie and Rae of @poutypottery for th...
Apr 26, 2022•37 min
Lindsey and Donte go head-to-head for the title in this EXTREME podcasting experience! Donte swaggers to the table with Squarespace, his trusty website-builder and selling platform. Lindsey strides up with Etsy, the easy – but controversial – marketplace website. They swing at each other, comparing each website with such ferocious topics as ease of use, fee structures, flexibility, and public perception. They brawl over the recent fee increase of 5% to 6.5% Etsy just implemented. They fight poin...
Apr 12, 2022•1 hr 8 min
Lindsey and Donte debrief after an exciting – and exhausting – experience at NCECA (the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts). Between telling stories of the people they met and the mugs they traded during the 4-day clay extravaganza, they discuss what they each wanted out of NCECA (and if they got it), what NCECA has to offer for new vs. experienced ceramic artists, what it feels like to trying to find “your people” in the clay world, gaining a new perspective on an old technique…...
Apr 01, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Lindsey and Donte take a small break from pure clay talk to catch up on an exciting past two weeks – and answer questions you didn’t know you were burning to ask. Like, “What’s the name of Donte’s brand new first-born?” Or, “What tastes like a french fry but is not a french fry?” Or, “What free and awesome clay event is Lindsey going to be demonstrating at on Saturday the 19th?” Ok, yeah that last one *does* have to do with clay, they couldn’t help themselves. ***Events!*** NCECA Luminaries Show...
Mar 15, 2022•26 min
Seed Studio w/ Sioux Bean With Donte out of the studio with some very exciting news, Lindsey and special guest Sioux Bean sit down to continue The Mud Peddlers pre-NCECA interview series. Sioux shares his earliest memories with clay, how his conceptions about art and sculpture underwent a massive evolution over the years, his rise in the food and fine dining industry, his experiences with higher education…and how all of that has intertwined to give rise to the socially-conscious work he does tod...
Mar 02, 2022•1 hr 11 min
Lindsey and Donte discuss all things feet…on pottery. They share the pros and cons of trimming or not, discuss the functional and stylistic considerations around feet, and even get into some thoughts about pottery design in general and what makes a piece interesting to them. Whether you’re a new potter/ceramic artist and you’re having trouble getting your feet “just right” or have had your hands in clay for a while and feel a bit stuck, this episode has a little something for you. Do you trim yo...
Feb 15, 2022•44 min
“It wasn’t dirt, it was gold to me.” In this alchemical interview, Lindsey and Donte talk personal transformation, art resources, and community with Anna Morales. Anna is a ceramic artist and Public Engagement Coordinator at Verge Center for the Arts in Sacramento. She shares her experience catching the “clay bug”, the career path she chose that took her to Verge, and why you– yes you– should come say hi at Verge during NCECA and throughout the year. This interview is part of a series celebratin...
Feb 01, 2022•56 min
Lindsey and Donte chat with fellow artist Ianna Frisby about the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) convention coming to Sacramento this March 16th-19th. Ianna introduces them to the world of her work and shares her journey pushing boundaries and exploring the depths of her creative well – from clay to hot glue. They also discuss the art scene in Sacramento, and how you can enjoy a weekend of clay nerdiness in the Farm to Fork capital. Give them a listen and then tell the...
Jan 18, 2022•50 min
Lindsey and Donte share some tips for marketing an online shop update. We just finished up the most marketing-heavy time of year. It’s challenging enough just making everything you want to sell – developing a strategy to let people know it’s out there can feel overwhelming. So, in this discussion, Lindsey and Donte share some tips that might be of help to the advertising-adverse. They also broaden the discussion to when it is a good time to start selling your work for the first time, and – in de...
Jan 04, 2022•38 min
Lindsey and Donte reflect on this past year, and begin shaping plans for 2022. They chat about the goals they met, the goals they stand to face in the new year, and the goals that will carry over into next year – and why some got checked off and others did not. There’s talk of glazing adventures, troubles with stickers, and the unexpected growth(s) that added something special to their year. Oh and by the way…Lindsey finally made her Patreon. About Your Hosts Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning...
Dec 21, 2021•45 min
In this extra *craze-y* episode, Lindsey and Donte talk all things crazing. Ever see tiny hairline cracks in your pottery? That's what crazing is. There's more that goes into it, so Lindsey asks Donte all about what crazing is, why it happens, how to fix it, and why it's a problem in the first place. Consider this the sister episode to the video Donte recently posted on his channel, so if you're wanting to dive deeper, have a look! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjS_87A7h5U About Your Hosts Lin...
Dec 07, 2021•39 min
Lindsey and Donte discuss how they plan their content -- both for their social media and for the items they make. There's talk of what events on their calendar shape their practice, what's unique about creating content as ceramic artists, and why what they share on social media corresponds -- or doesn't -- with their day-to-day studio life. How about you? Do you meticulously plan out your content, or do you post on the fly? What calendar events (from the school year to the fall and winter holida...
Nov 23, 2021•37 min
Lindsey and Donte talk pricing...again. In their first episode on pricing (way back in episode 5) they talked about how to price your work if you’re just beginning to sell your ceramics. In this episode, they share how they've navigated questions they've run into as they've gained more experience selling their work -- questions you might have as well. Questions like: How often do you raise your prices? When you raise them, by how much do you raise them? What do you do when you know you should ra...
Nov 09, 2021•55 min
Lindsey and Donte discuss how they practice sustainability in our studios. They share some of the biggest baby steps they've taken to reduce, reuse, and recycle -- whether that means literally recycling clay, or finding creative ways to legitimize how much ice cream they wanna eat. There’s talk of where they get their post-consumer shipping materials, what time of day they fire their work, and the one way you *don’t* want to reuse the plastic bags your clay comes in. Referenced Links: Donte’s Re...
Oct 26, 2021•36 min
Lindsey and Donte discuss the idea of learning through copying. When is it ok to copy someone's work? How have Lindsey and Donte learning through copying? What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow? About Your Hosts Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes nerdy mugs, creature sculptures, and cafe dishware. She has been working in clay since 2007, and doing so professionally since 2014. Her supernatural powers haven't manifested yet, but it's ok, she'll...
Oct 12, 2021•36 min
Donte asks Lindsey about her soon-to-debut Patreon. With hopes that sharing her process will help others considering creating a Patreon, she discusses how she set up her tiers, how she navigated choice paralysis, and how she and Donte differ when it comes to starting new endeavors. About Your Hosts Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes nerdy mugs, creature sculptures, and cafe dishware. She has been working in clay since 2007, and doing so professionally sinc...
Sep 28, 2021•44 min
Lindsey picks Donte's brain about Patreon. How he set up his patron tiers, what were some of the biggest challenges when he first set it up, and how he's balanced the demands and rewards of running it. And some exciting news about The Mud Peddlers... About Your Hosts Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes nerdy mugs, creature sculptures, and cafe dishware. She has been working in clay since 2007, and doing so professionally since 2014. Her supernatural powers ...
Sep 14, 2021•32 min
Lindsey and Donte discuss what habits have helped them out the most in their studio lives. We learn where Lindsey hoards her inspiration like a clay-covered dragon, how Donte's other career as a chef influences his wheel-throwing, and how to make sure your future self doesn't hate your past self so much that they time-travel to take revenge for your folly. About Your Hosts Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes nerdy mugs, creature sculptures, and cafe dishwar...
Aug 31, 2021•27 min
Lindsey and Donte answer two listener questions about what is vitrification, and what are our favorite resources when we want to learn or troubleshoot. We're always happy to hear what you're curious about, so thanks for sending these in! Recommendations list for reference: Artists Helping Artists Wheel Talk The Potter's Cast Washington Street Studios Digital Fire Ave Rivera Sue MacLeod John Britt John Hesselberth Mastering Cone 6 Glazes About Your Hosts Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning profe...
Aug 17, 2021•36 min
Lindsey and Donte share tips for folks who are or will be working in a community studio space for the first time, and a couple tidbits for folks new to ceramics as a whole. Some of this may seem basic, but as two former TA's/studio tech assistants, Lindsey and Donte have seen it all...more than once. About Your Hosts Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes nerdy mugs, creature sculptures, and cafe dishware. She has been working in clay since 2007, and doing so ...
Aug 03, 2021•34 min
Lindsey and Donte discuss productivity. From weather to emotional downswings, they share what impacts their ability to be as effective as they want to be, and how they navigate it. (Just a note, this episode was recorded in early June, so references to "last month" refer to May.) About Your Hosts Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes nerdy mugs, creature sculptures, and cafe dishware. She has been working in clay since 2007, and doing so professionally since ...
Jul 20, 2021•28 min
Lindsey and Donte share how they started making their own glazes and some tips to help you get started making your own too. Why make your own glazes? What tools do you need to get started? How much water do you add? What do all those chemicals do? Am I even ready to start making glazes? What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow? This episode helps you with, well, *most* of those questions. About Your Hosts Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes nerdy...
Jul 06, 2021•43 min
