Roscoe Ceramic Gallery

Derek Van Beers' fantastic gallery in the Uptown district of Oakland has several great shows lined up.  Be sure to check them out.  Stay tuned to the website here.

Christa Assad: Carhartt “Everyday Icon” Campaign

Leslie customer Christa Assad was photographed at Leslie's for Carhartt's “Everyday Icon” campaign.  Visit her website here.

Christa left this great comment:

"Christa Assad said...

thanks, Leslie's, for continuing to deliver great product and the friendliest service around! when Carhartt asked where i wanted to shoot the "materials scene", of course i thought of Leslie's Ceramics! i heart you!
xo
christa"

Thanks Christa!

Schedule for this Saturday, October 22nd Ceramics Festival

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Schedule: 
7:30 - 8:15 Coffee and Set Up
8:15 - 9:15 Michelle Gregor
9:45 - 10:45 Forest L. Middleton
11:15 - 12:15 Eric Struck
12:15 - 1:15 Lunch
1:30 - 2:30 Susan Dannenfelser
3:00 - 4:00 Sandy Simon
4:30 Raffle!

Raku firing, Kids N Clay, Pottery Texture Queen, Fingerlakes slipcasting, etc. all day
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Torch Enameling Workshop: November 5th

November 5th - Torch Enameling on Copper Workshop with Steven James  

No kiln? No problem! Learn how to use your butane torch to hand-fire enamel onto metal. Create a variety of fused-glass designs -- pendants, matching earrings, and charms for a bracelet -- while learning the instructor’s tips and tricks he only shares in class. With enameling, the design ideas are endless and the outcomes are completely unique every time you fire! For maximum firing time, bring your own torch or share one of the instructor’s, and learn just how far you can take your creativity.
12:00 pm to 3 pm - Fee: $55 plus a $15 fee for supplies (paid to instructor day of workshop)
Students will also receive a 10% discount on anything in the store the day of the workshop.

Dragon Flameware made with Toki Flameclay

Leslie customer Ericka Wingerter just created a website about the Flameware dishes that she makes with Leslie's Toki Flameclay.  Her website has some beautiful pictures and expounds the advantages of Toki Flameclay.  Here is what she has to say about her cookware, which she call Dragon Flameware:  

• Dragon Flameware can withstand 800 degree heat. 

• Ceramic cookware enhances food flavor and keeps dishes hotter longer.   

• Dragon Flameware is easy to clean. 

• Non-Scratch, Non-Toxic Ceramic Glaze Surface. 

• Dragon Flameware is versatile. It works in pizza ovens, regular ovens, and dishwashers. On stovetops, BBQs, open flames, and on your table. 

• Dragon Flameware is non-toxic – with no trace metals or chemicals leaching from the cooking surface. 

• Dragon Flameware is beautiful and one of a kind! 

Read More about her pottery and see more photos at http://dragonflameware.com/

Happy Glaze on Sale Now

Happy Glaze on Sale!

Just in time for the new school year all pints will be on sale:

BUY ONE GET ONE FREE
ONLY $4.50 PER PINT

September 1st to the 17th

Leslie’s new Happy Glazes are:

• Economical
• Colorful
• Glossy
• Transparent
• Made in Berkeley

 
 
They also have a wide variety of applications and work great at Low Fire temperatures (cone 06-05-04) or at Mid Fire (cone 5-6). In addition they look fantastic when raku fired. Come by the store to check out the test tiles and pick up some Happy Glaze.

This tile shows Leslie's Happy Glazes at cone 5:

Creature / Portrait Head Workshop with Bob Carpenter

Creature / Portrait Head Workshop
Just in time for Halloween! In this workshop you will discover basic human facial anatomy and proportions and build a portrait or creature head. You will explore the hand building process including tools and techniques. Bob will demonstrate for you crucial armature techniques while you learn how to build life-sized ceramic sculptures and prevent them from exploding in the kiln. Be prepared for an afternoon of challenges and laughs. All skill levels are welcome!
10:30 am to 4 pm with a half hour break. Fee: $60
Bring photos or sketches for reference and any tools you might need. As always dress to mess.

K-12 Teachers: this class is designed for you and your students!

Bob Carpenter earned his Bachelors of Fine Art in Sculpture at The Academy of Art University in 2010. Since graduation he has been tutoring students in design, concept, building technique, finishing technique and photography. Bob has extensive knowledge of the ceramic process as well as mold making and techniques. You can find him and his works at www.BobboDaGreen.com

Seed Balls made with Ceramic Clay

Seed Ball Fever

Recently we have had a surge of inquiries from customers wanting to know if we have clay suitable to make seed balls. Of course we do. We usually recommend dry powdered Red Art Clay as it mixes more readily with the seeds and other ingredients and is just pure clay. We sell it in 1 lb, 5 lbs, 10 lbs, 25 lbs, 50 lbs, and up. Look at our Raw Material pricelist for prices here.

October 22nd Ceramic Festival Raffle

Many prizes will be raffled off at 4 PM, including a Shimpo VL Lite Potters Wheel generously donated by Shimpo Ceramics, Toki Rocket Kiln, IMCO Clay, Leslie Clays & Glazes, and many more prizes.

All proceeds will be donated to The Richmond Art Center and Berkeley Art Center.

1 ticket: $5
3 tickets: $10
8 tickets: $20

Visit or Call Leslie Ceramics to buy tickets!

Leslie Ceramics and IMCO Clay Co Present: Open House Ceramics Festival

OPEN HOUSE CERAMICS FESTIVAL
Saturday, October 22, 2011
7:30 - 4:30
FREE ADMISSION
Hosted by Leslie Ceramics
& IMCO, Industrial Minerals Co.
DEMONSTRATIONS, EXHIBITS, DISPLAYS

Featuring demonstrations by:

Sandy Simon: Functional Vessels

Forrest Lesch-Middelton: Image Transfer on Pottery

Eric Struck: Throwing Large Pots

Susan Dannenfelser: Tile Making

Also you can participate in Raku firings with:

Lenny Larson – Ceramic Services: Raku Firing

And for the kids:

Kids ‘N’ Clay: Wheel and Sculpting

Also featuring tables and presentations from:

Lynn Wood: Pottery Texture Queen Texture Mats

Arturo Maldonado: Cress Mfg.

Karen Wise: Shimpo Ceramics

They have graciously donated a VL-lite pottery wheel like this one to be raffled off.

Richard Whittaker: Works & Conversations

Ann Hatch & Braden Weeks Earp: The Workshop Residence

Diana Bohn: Potters for Peace

Richmond Art Center

The Berkeley Art Center

And much more!
Many prizes will be raffled off at 4 PM, including a
VL Lite Potters Wheel generously donated by Shimpo Ceramics.
All proceeds will be donated to
The Richmond Art Center and Berkeley Art Center.

Lynn Wood Clay Texture Mat Workshop July 16th

We have a very exciting workshop coming up with Lynn Wood, the Pottery Texture Queen. You will learn how she makes her amazing work using rubber texture mats that she designs and makes. Learn this easy yet exciting way to embellish your work. This can be another great tool in your toolbox.

Slab-O-Rama

Hands on workshop at Leslie Ceramics in Berkeley
July 16th
Clay Texture Workshop – $70 NOW ONLY $60!
10:00 am to 4:30 pm (w/ break for lunch)

In this hands on workshop, we will explore both the use of slabs and textures. Projects will include a variety of items from plates to cups to vases. Goals will be to make some things, have fun, and take away a number of skills and ideas into the future. All skill levels welcome.

Contact Leslie's to register 510-524-7363
Visit Leslie's website to see all workshops here.

From PotteryTextureQueen.com:
"The texture queen has had clay as a joy in her life since early childhood. The ability to play and explore the endless possibilities with this medium, furthers her creative pleasure.

As the queen’s career developed, so did her joy of including texture in her work. She has been influenced by texture in everyday life. She especially draws inspiration from nature, textiles, and architecture. Finding beauty in the details, she has become quite passionate about texture, in fact, one could say she is a texture fanatic.

And now she has developed her own line of texture stamps for potters. These are large (7”X9”) unmounted patterned rubber stamps. They work well on both slabs and thrown work. Currently 22 different patterns are available.

Email the texture queen at: potterytexturequeen@yahoo.com"

These are pictures of the a couple of the clay texture mats which the Queen makes.

"Splicing Forms of Nature and Science" by Jos Sances and Daniel Galvez

Daniel Galvez and Jos Sances have recently completed a mural titled Splicing Forms of Nature and Science at Skyline College, San Bruno, California. They have worked independently as successful, professional artists for over thirty years each. As a collaborative team, our partnership creates a unique skill-set profile that includes monumental site-specific projects, graphic and digital design, exceptional drawing and painting skills, carving and glazing handmade tile and a wide range of public projects from etched stainless steel to oil on canvas painting to digital ceramic tile.

Leslie Ceramics advised Sances and Galvez on technical issues related to the glazing and firing of the ceramic mural components, that were fired in a TOKI 99 kiln.

"When addressing new interpretive site-specific artwork, we initiate dialogue to explore theme, content and medium while devising a strategy for involving community, administrators and architects to assist in furthering the design parameters. We have successfully completed such projects as the interpretive dual canvas murals for the U.S. Department of the Interior’s 150th Anniversary in their Washington, DC headquarters building, the 165’ digital tile installation for Alameda County’s Juvenile Justice Center in San Leandro, the 3-panel mixed media installation for the African American Museum and Library in Oakland, the 700 square foot digital tile and hand-carved tile art installation for the new Castro Valley Library along with many others." (Visit Sances' website here to see some pictures)

"It gives us great satisfaction to design work that has been developed through interaction and dialogue with interested stakeholders in creating artwork that reflects their vision and values in meaningful content."

Daniel Galvez has created numerous public works ranging in scale from 128 square feet to 128,000 square feet. Most recently he created twelve etched stainless steel elevator doors highlighting the natural habitats of Richmond’s shoreline and creeks/woodland parks along with an interpretive artwork on the City’s history and renaissance for the City of Richmond’s Civic Center Renovation Project. Previous works include a 12 x 66’ painting honoring the life of Malcolm X for the City of New York at the Audubon Ballroom and a $250,000 project with two collaborating artists for four 200’ long interpretive and historical murals on Highway 680 underpass walls in Dublin, CA.

Jos is founder and the art director of Alliance Graphics, begun in 1989 it has grown into a successful, union screenprint and design shop. Over the years Jos has designed and printed thousands of posters and t-shirts for hundreds of progressive causes, while at the same time maintaining a steady output of art which address issues and ideas which concern him. In 2010 the Library of Congress aquired 487 prints from Sances which represented a broad overveiw of his thiry years of printmaking. Before Alliance Graphics, he co-founded Mission Grafica at the Mission Cultural Center in 1980 and worked there until1988.

During the past 15 years Mural and Public Art has been Jos's passion. He has painted murals at the Oakland Coliseum and tile mural commissions at the new Juvenile Justice Center in San Leandro, CA; AMTRAK/BART Station, Richmond, CA, the Sixteenth Street BART station in San Francisco.Two tile murals were completed in 2009, at the new Library in Castro Valley and Arnett Watson Apartments in San Francisco. In 2010 with Daniel Galvez, Jos completed a huge 7000 sq.ft Mural for a new Recreation Center at Ira Jenkins Park in Oakland and also a Etched Stainless Steel and Ceramic Mural for Skyline College in San Bruno, CA. Jos is proudly a founding and lifelong member of the Great Tortilla Conspiracy.

About the Skyline Project: Sances says, "When I first visited the site at Skyline College I was struck by the view of the ocean from the hills and it got me thinking about the mission of Skyline College, which is essentially teaching technical skills, illustrated by the harsh, modern buildings which dot the campus and the beautiful, natural Pacifica setting in which it was nestled. I decided to create a project which juxtaposed the technical and the natural and show how the two can integrate. We used etched stainless steel triangles to demonstrate the hardness and accuracy on science and hand-made, hand-painted tiles to represent the warmth of the natural world. Going even deeper, we filled the geometric steel triangles with spheres, circles and other softer, more natural lines resulting in a piece which reveals how nature and science complement each other."

More on Chanda Beck

Check out this article about Chanda Beck's Ezme Designs from Vagabond SF's blog. It has some very nice photos.
You'd better sign up for her workshop now....
Workshops at Leslie Ceramics

Chanda Beck Workshops coming up!

June 11th: Tile making workshop with Chanda Beck ezmedesigns.com
Tile-Making 101
Here are some images of some tile commissions:

More info and how to sign up.
Website
Etsy Shop
Flickr Page