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Headlines
5/6/08
Potters' Yield
The following article was in the Syracuse New Times issue of April 30th. It was in the What's Shakin' section.
There is a certain warmth that radiates as you step into the Clayscapes pottery studio. Student potters work lines the walls, some perfectly manicured and molded and others reflecting perhaps a beginners early attempts at commanding the clay. Yet as the potters continue their work the realization comes that the warmth is the pride and love that they throw into the beautiful ceramic pieces they create.
All in a clays work: Students at Clayscapes
Pottery use the wheel to throw their creations
before firing them in the kiln.
The best part is opening up the kiln with your glaze stuffed in it. Its like Christmas. You never really know what the kiln gods are going to give you, said Kelly Barone, a former administrator for Solvay Free Union School District who has taken classes at Clayscapes for 3½ years and devotes herself to the art full time.
Barone said the best things about classes at Clayscapes are that students can proceed at their own pace and work on projects of their choosing. Really you can do anything you want to do. Im advanced now, so Im working on glaze chemistry, but there are slots for beginners, said Barone. Glaze chemistry is the study of different types of glazes, colorful shiny coatings, and the effects that they have on various types of clay during the firing stage.
I have a passion about bringing clay to other people. The more they get enthused, it spreads like a fire, said Don Seymour, president, founder and owner of Clayscapes, 1003 W. Fayette St. Seymours interest in clay began in 1978 while he was in high school; in 1983 he received a bachelors degree in Ceramics and Sculpture from SUNY Fredonia.
He spent years in research and retail jobs, including 10 years selling furniture, before quitting in 1996 to pursue a career in pottery. In 2003, Seymour bought Laguna Clay, a clay distribution company, and renamed it Clayscapes Pottery. Since then, Seymour reported, his company sells an average of 75 tons of clay a month, much of it to local schools and Syracuse University and Onondaga Community College.
Too many people go through life just discontent, working a job just to pay bills. You cant go through life unhappy. Its too short. {Youve} got to bring joy to the world, said Seymour of the transition from his previous jobs to his pottery business. In addition, Seymours respect for clay is profound. Clay comes from the earth. Without the earth, we dont live. You want to breathe life into that clay, giving it shape and form. {Its} freedom of expression.
Hes got big plans for Clayscapes as well. He wants to increase enrollment in his pottery classes and add seminars on the history of pottery to the curriculum. Seymour also plans to expand Clayscapes gallery so that more students and artists can display and sell their work.
Seymour makes sure he contributes to community causes through his pottery business. One event is Empty Bowls, a soup dinner for which his students make ceramic bowls. Proceeds from the event are donated to New York food pantries. In addition, Clayscapes sponsors the Feats of Clay contest for high schools in the Syracuse area. The company donates 2,000 pounds of clay in addition to the prize money. This years contest will be held Friday, May 9, at Onondaga Community College.
Beginner classes at Clayscapes Pottery are $265 and include 50 pounds of clay, glazes and studio time. The classes meet for 10 weeks, either weekly or Mondays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 5:30 to 8 p.m. For more information, call 424-6868.
Nichole Nichols
5/6/08
Dolan Tool Replacement
We have a new line of Kemper Tools that have been made to replace the former Dolan Tools. These new tools are virtually identical to the Dolans and perform wonderfully. They are made from the same type of steel and can be resharpened. We have a number of the new tools here in the store and we will be able to replenish our supply on a regular basis. Contact us for more information.
2/7/08
Cone 6 Iron Red Glazes
There here and available!!! We have 4 wonderful new cone 6 iron saturate glazes batched and ready for use. We have the samples here in the store for you to view. If you would like a digital picture, just let us know and we will get one off to you. Samples are available upon request also.
2/6/08
NY Talc
RT Vanderbilt is going to close the mine for NY Talc, (Nytal 100), at the end of this year. There are other Talc sources available and some clay companies have already changed while others are in the process. We are now stocking Texas Talc, Pioneer 2882. If you have clay bodies or glazes that are heavily reliant on the NY Talc, which is what was used for years in this area, I would ask that you do some testing with the Texas Talc. If you find that you are going to need to keep using the NY Talc, let us know so that we can get it in here for you before the end of the year and there is a run on it. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have and I will be glad to assist you. Don
12/7/07
Holiday Closing
We will be closed Sunday 12/23/07 through 1/1/08. We will reopen with regular business hours on Wednesday 1/2/08. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
10/6/07
Raku Gathering Fall 2007
We will be having our fall Raku Gathering on Saturday, November 17th, 2007 from 12 Noon until 4 pm. Join us for a great afternoon of good food, good friends and good fire! We will be supplying the beverages, paper products, glazes, Raku kilns, fuel, combustibles and good cheer. Bring a dish to pass and your bisque fired Raku pieces to glaze. We are asking for a donation of $5.00 per person to help with some of the cost. There will be door prizes so make sure you register for them when you arrive. Come and participate, share in the fun and laughter! We'll be fired up!
9/13/07
Fall Clayscapes Pottery Happenings
We have some exciting things happening at Clayscapes Pottery. Our fall pottery classes have just started and we have 33 people participating. We have added more shelving and have already received registrations for the winter session. It is great to be able to watch the studio come alive with the enthusiasm of the students.
Our next wood firing is going to be starting on Friday, October 26th. If you are interested in getting a shelve space, do it now! There are only a couple of spaces still available.
November 1st will be the opening day of our Gallery at Clayscapes Pottery. Do your holiday shopping locally and support area artist.
Our annual Raku Gathering will be on Saturday, November 17th. We are looking forward to a great event like we had last year. Good food, good friends and good fire!!!
The Clayscapes Pottery web page will be undergoing an update in the coming months. We are working to give you more and easier access to the products that we carry. It is a big project but it is in the works.
8/8/07
Labor Day Closing / Wood Firing / Classes
We hope that everyone is having a great summer! It's August already and we are busy shipping school orders. Labor Day is around the corner and we will be CLOSED for the weekend, Friday 8/31 and Saturday 9/1. We will be firing our wood kiln that weekend, anyone that has signed up for space should have their work to the shop by Saturday 8/18, that way we can get the work to the kiln and loaded. Fall classes begin the week of September 10th. We have had very good enrollment this year with 24 people taking class each session. I would encourage you to enroll early so that you can get the class of your choice. We are running 5 classes this Fall, Monday through Thursday evenings and a DAY class - day to be determined. Have fun and get fired up!!!
6/20/07
July 4th Closing
We will be closed for the week of July 2nd through July 7th. Please let us know if you need anything ahead of time so that you don't get caught short. Our summer pottery classes will be starting when we come back on Tuesday the 10th. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday classes are fairly full, we do have a couple of spots open on Wednesdays still.
3/14/07
Wood Firing is Fast Approaching
Our first wood firing of the year is just over 2 months away. If you have signed up for shelve space in the kiln, it is critical that you send in your payment to secure your spot. We do have a couple of spaces still available if anyone else is interested. We will need your pieces here at the shop by Saturday, May 12th. Please contact us if you have any questions or are interested in participating. Let's Get Fired Up!
3/10/07
Workshop Series Kickoff !
We are kicking off our workshop series on June 16th at 1:30pm. John Dowling is a working professional photographer and he is going to bring his expertise in capturing the three dimensional image. Our workshop will cover building your own light booth, lightning work, backdrops, depth of field, composition and much more as well as questions and answers. The workshop is limited to a capacity of 15 people and the fee is $30.00 per person. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn what you need to know about documenting work and taking professional quality slides to get into shows. Refreshments will be served. Registration in advance is required - contact us at the shop. Get fired up!
1/31/07
Sherrill Mud Tools
We are now stocking Sherrill Mud Tools. They are a welcome addition to our line of quality products and we are glad to provide you, our customers, with a tool that you have been requesting. We are listening to your requests, so please give us your input.
Let's Get Fired Up!
1/4/07
Wood Firing Schedule / Opportunities
Our 120 cubic foot wood kiln will be fired 4 times this year and we have limited space available for people to participate.
The firings will take place at the end of May, June, August and October. We have a wood fire kit that includes: shelve space, clay and glaze. We do all the wading and loading. $64.00 and you are on your way to some fabulous work. Contact us for further details.
10/31/06
Gift Certificates
A Gift Certificate from Clayscapes Pottery is going to brighten the day for that special someone in your life. You can purchase a gift certificate in the dollar amount of your choice over the phone or in person. Gift Certificates can be used towards the purchase of any of the products that we carry, custom order or used for class fees. Celebrate the Holidays with a Clayscapes Pottery Gift Certificate!
10/11/06
Welcome Back Sallie Thompson
In January we will be welcoming Sallie Thompson back to the Central New York area. Sallie will be teaching class on Thursday evenings here at Clayscapes. She has spent the last year traveling and exploring new personal clay development. We are anxious to see her and we're sure that she will be sharing some of her experiences.
10/10/06
Holdiday / Raku Gathering
Holiday / Raku Gathering - On Saturday December 2, 2006 from 1 pm - 4 pm come and join us for some Holiday Cheer and participate in a Raku firing. We will be supplying Beverages, Paper Products, Good Cheer, Raku Kilns, Glazes, Fuel, Combustibles. Bring a dish to pass and your bisqued fired Raku piece to glaze. If you would like to participate in a gift exchange - bring a gift. Fun and Laughter will be had by all. Get Fired Up!!!
8/3/06
Workshop Series for Art Educators
Workshop Series for Art Educators. Our on going workshop series continues throug the fall. If you or your district is interested in our professional development program, please contact us and we would be glad to discuss the details.
We have developed a number of custom workshops to choose from or we can design a workshop based on your specfic needs. You can select a half day or full day program and we can accomodate up to 20 people.
5/6/06
New Product Lines
Spectrum Glazes, Thomas Stuart Wheels and Sheffield Pottery are new lines that we have available. You can link to the web sites of these quality manufacturers through the products page of our site, just click on suppliers and the links are there. Please let us know if you have any questions, we are always glad to help out.
1/3/06
Workshop Series for Educators
Workshop Series for Art Educators. Clayscapes Pottery has developed a series of workshops for art educators. If you or your district is interested in our professional development program, please contact us and we would be glad to discuss the details.
We have a number of workshops to choose from or we can develop one based on your specfic needs. You can select a half day or full day program and we can accomodate up to 20 people.
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