Podcast #19

Andy Paiko is a Portland glass artist. He’s also getting recognition as someone who is pushing the limits of concept within a traditional craft field. Andy’s work stretches the notion of both what a functional object is and what it can be made out of: a glass hammer, a seismograph that wouldn’t survive the earthquake it measures, a spinning wheel that is more fragile than the material it processes. His use of material and concept betrays a simple irony between the two and pushes the work’s impact onto a more poetic level. Andy’s also a down to earth guy who doesn’t get too far ahead of himself. I hope you enjoy our conversation!

Podcast #18

Diane Gilleland lives in Portland, OR but her online reach is far. An early adopter of blogs and podcasts, Diane has built a small empire of DIY craft teaching through e-books, podcasts, and online tutorials. Sister Diane is heavily invested in helping others bridge the gap between making, connecting, and marketing. Her podcast has covered everything from how to creatively reuse materials, building an online narrative through blogging to connect to an audience, and how important it is to just keep making. Diane and I come from different worlds that share a lot of parallels but meet up very rarely. Indie craft and Fine craft come from the same place, at least on an individual level: we all want/need to make things. But maybe that’s where the similarities end. There seems to be a mutual suspicion and lack of understanding between the two worlds. Diane and I address those issues, we talk about the work that she’s known for online, and how we look at a craft object. I really had a blast talking to Diane and I felt like this was just the first part of a much longer conversation. Enjoy!