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 workshops and mentoring, she shares her approach to sculpting animals, studying anatomy, developing form, and using clay as a way of seeing more closely.

Surface is another distinctive part of Deana’s work and teaching. She uses oxides to emphasize the marks made during sculpting and also works with inks on fired ceramic surfaces, allowing drawing and mark-making to continue after the firing process. Her workshops on inking ceramics explore how these materials can add depth, contrast, and character without completely covering the clay beneath.

In this episode of the Colour and Ceramics Podcast, we talk about ceramic animal sculpture, drawing in three dimensions, studying anatomy, hand-building techniques, working with ink on ceramics, developing expressive surfaces, and what Deana has learned through teaching and mentoring other ceramic artists.

If you are interested in ceramic sculpture, wildlife art, hand-building, clay workshops, animal anatomy, ceramic surface techniques, or using drawing as part of your ceramic practice, I think you’ll enjoy this conversation.

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, but beneath the surface is a deeper interest in memory, emotion and our connection to the people who made things thousands of years before us.

You can find his work here: https://www.instagram.com/drewcainesceramics/

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 an artistic practice alongside a life in science.

Susie's Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/susiekatholceramics/

Susie's Website: https://susiekatholceramics.ca/