A plant-inspired practice
with Katie Robbins
This post contains affiliate links
It’s not unusual for me to be thinking of my stomach, and as this episode begins I’m mulling over the onset of winter while considering the cheering effect of hot, fried finger food, especially any involving potatoes. Grabbing comfort food on the run while out and about in the cold feels like a milestone in the year, a whole collection of which seasonal navigation aids has been assembled for us these past few years by Lia Leendertz with her wonderful Almanac (first discussed in season 1 episode 7), and I catch up with Lia briefly for an update on the latest edition, with an excerpt read by Milli Proust.
Still on the lookout for good cheer on these, the darkest days of a year no one will be sorry to forget, I can’t help but think of the amazing work being done right now by so many small, independent creative business, beavering away furiously to send gifts out in time for Christmas and brightening up our social screens with their creativity. I’ve always been fascinated by those who work in relative isolation, surrounded by nature, perhaps in a shed or outhouse in the garden, and I was delighted to have a chance to talk to the Birmingham based potter Katie Robbins (@ceramicmagpie on Instagram) about her own plant-inspired practice from her garden studio. We discuss her work, the power of a good parcel and how to delight your customer, whether to use the term “potter” or “ceramic artist”, and the pitfalls of creative cross-fertilisation.
Please do continue to share the podcast on social media, and if you’d really like to brighten my day, leave a review on iTunes or your podcast app of choice. Or drop me a note in the comments section below, having listened on the embedded player on this page.
Gardens, weeds and words podcast, S03E02 show notes
A blend of slow radio, gardening advice and conversation, and readings from the best garden and wildlife writing.
These notes may contain affiliate links.
Garden soundtrack
Pondering the onset of winter, with twinkling lights and fried potatoes.
Seasonal markers, and The Almanac from Lia Leendertz.
Catching up with Lia Leendertz – what’s new in the 2021 edition? 03:44
Reading from The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2021 10:28
https://amzn.to/36LqUFH
Read by Milli Proust
The independent plant-inspired businesses bringing cheer and lightening our darkness.
Interview with Katie Robbins 13:22
14:50 A love of the natural world and of ceramics
16:02 The formative planty encounter – sunflowers, a flat cap and a fag
18:40 Potter... or ceramic artist?
19:52 If not a potter, would Katie have worked with plants in some other way?
Grace Alexander flowers: https://www.gracealexanderflowers.co.uk/
Milli Proust: https://www.milliproust.com/about
Bex Partridge (Botanical Tales): https://www.botanicaltales.com/
21:50 The power of a good parcel, and delighting your customer
Beautiful and sustainable packaging
https://www.ktrobbinsceramics.com/blog/2020/8/24/beautiful-safe-and-sustainable-packaging
24:49 A journey to the potter's wheel
26:43 The shortest commute – working from home. Pluses and minuses of the WfH life
29:12 A tour of the garden studio
34:57 Katie's creative process
40:17 Inspiration from peers
41:48 The inevitabilities of creative cross-fertilisation
44:23 Working in porcelain
46:49 Clay from the ground
50:00 Inspirations
***
Thank you to Katie Robbins for giving up her time to talk to me about her creative plant-inspired practice.
You can find Katie on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/ceramicmagpie/
Or on her website: https://www.ktrobbinsceramics.com/
Thanks also to Lia Leendertz for joining me to talk about The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2021 00:00
https://amzn.to/36LqUFH
I’m immensely grateful to Milli Proust for lending us her mellifluous tones for the reading.
Of course, I’m ever appreciative of all my listeners for your continued support and reviews – I really do appreciate them. You can support the podcast by buying its producer a virtual cup of coffee for three quid, at https://ko-fi.com/andrewtimothyOB. Proceeds will go towards equipment, software and the monthly podcast hosting fees.
website: gardensweedsandwords.com
email: gardensweedsandwords@gmail.com
Instagram: instagram.com/AndrewTimothyOB
Twitter: twitter.com/AndrewTimothyOB
You can hear find the podcast trailer and the first four episodes here, either on iTunes or on Switcher.
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Hello! I’m Andrew, gardener, writer, photographer, and owner of a too-loud laugh, and I’m so pleased you’ve found your way to Gardens, weeds & words. You can read a more in-depth profile of me on the About page, or by clicking this image.
