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Centered piece of clay

How to Center Clay: A Step-by-Step Guide

Piece of centered clay

The first dizzying challenge for most newbie potters is how to center clay. Centering is the process of evenly distributing your mound of clay on the middle of the pottery wheel before creating your piece. It’s a tricky step and tends to produce a lot of silent and audible screaming. 

The reality is simple: centering is frustrating but essential. A shiny, centered mound of clay is the starting point for all shapes on the wheel. Centering allows you to shape your clay evenly, which gives you a fighting chance of making a symmetrical piece. It could happen, right?!

If you’re struggling, rest assured, you’re in good company. All potters have struggled too, and our studio can help you get better. So sit back — or better yet, hunch over your wheel — and follow along as we go step-by-step through the centering process.

1. Centering Prep

You might be tempted to skip the prep, but these steps will make centering easier. Trust us! 

Wedge the Clay

Wedging will give your clay a uniform consistency and help with centering. Roll the clay forward and downwards, slowly folding the clay into itself one layer at time. Spending a minute or two doing this will make your clay easier to work with. 

Make a Ball

After the clay is wedged, use the heel of your palms to bat the clay around and turn it into a ball. This shape is the easiest to center. 

Turn the clay into a ball

Stick the Clay to the Wheel

Stick the clay onto the center of the wheel. Try to get the ball as close to the center as possible.

Remember, the ultimate goal is to have the clay centered, so help yourself out by putting the clay in the middle to begin with.

Use an index finger to push down on the base of the clay as the wheel spins to create a tighter seal between the clay and wheel. 

2. Cone Up

Coning up helps align the clay particles and is a continuation of the wedging process. In fact, some potters refer to this step as wheel wedging. 

Wrap your hands around the clay and squeeze inward with the heel of your hands. The clay will be forced upward and will create a cone shape. Use a high wheel speed to make this part easier.

3. Cone Down

Finally, the main event! This is the toughest of part of learning how to center clay. 

We want to force the clay downward and control it to the center of the wheel. Use a high wheel speed for this step. And add water! 

Most potters will brace the clay with their non-dominant hand and push the clay down with their dominant one. 

  • Hook the elbow of your non-dominant arm into your waist and extend your arm straight  out in front of you. 
  • Cup the side of the clay with your non-dominant hand, with your pinky touching the wheel head.
  • Now lean your whole body into the clay for maximum control. 
  • With the side of your dominant hand, push the clay downward . 
  • Use the palm and fingers of your non-dominant hand to brace the clay and control how the clay distributes itself on the way down. 

Some potters prefer to create dome shape, while others flatten their pieces into a hockey puck. The choice is yours! 

A centered piece of clay

Conclusion

Learning how to center clay is an essential part of throwing. Bowls, mugs, vases, and everything in between all start as centered pieces of clay. 

Prep the clay so it’s easier to work with and then use your non-dominant hand to brace the clay while your dominant hand forces it downwards. Experiment with your body position and hand placement until you find the right combination.  

It takes practice! And nothing beats an in-person instructor. Creative Arts Studio offers wheel throwing classes to learn all these tips and more. Happy throwing! 

Wheel Throwing Fun

Hiring Wheel Throwing Instructors

Apply Online

Job Description

Wheel-Throwing Art Instructor:

This position requires learning basic art studio operations as well as becoming knowledgeable in basic pottery painting, mosaic art, and glass fusing techniques to assist all guests in their creative pursuits.

We provide training and there are many opportunities for creative growth and development.

Wheel-Throwing Art Instructor

Having proficiency in wheel-throwing is required as this is a teaching position. We are seeking potters to instruct beginner and intermediate 6-week, wheel-throwing workshops as well as to instruct children (age 7+) through adults in hour-long private, semiprivate, and group wheel-throwing lessons. We are seeking outgoing and creative individuals to join our team at the Creative Arts Studio.

The Creative Arts Studio is a do-it-yourself art studio specializing in pottery painting and wheel-throwing. Additionally, mosaic art and glass fusing projects are offered to the public on a walk-in basis as well as through classes and workshops.

The Creative Arts Studio is family-owned and has been in business since 1999. We strongly believe in providing excellent customer service to guests who come into the studio to create. We also firmly believe that the creative process truly has as much value as the finished masterpiece.

For this reason, employees who are most successful at the Creative Arts Studios are those who genuinely enjoy helping people (of all ages!) explore their creativity. The studio can be fast-paced at times, so being able to multi-task is also a great quality to possess. We are looking for full-time and part-time employees. Having an evening and/or weekend availability is preferred as these are the times when the studio is busiest. Hourly wages vary based on experience and qualifications. If this sounds like the job for you, please submit your resume to Apply Online. Or come into the studio and ask to speak to Kristin or Dave.

Apply Online

Mosaic Pottery Art Class Pre-Sign Up

Q: What is the price, Date? 
A: This is a new class, once we know so will you! But first come first serve as they will sell out! But we hope to create this class online as well. Hope that helps. Thank you! ?

Mosaic Art Class Dog
Mosaic Dog Art Class
Mosaic Art Class Dog
Crayola Cycle

ColorCycle by Crayola

DON’T CHUCK THOSE MARKERS. 
15 pounds of dead markers that will NOT end up in landfills or our oceans. Did you know that Crayola has a program called ColorCycle? Crayola ColorCycle will accept all brands of plastic markers, not just Crayola markers. That includes dry erase markers & highlighters. If you collect the dead markers, they’ll send you a free shipping label & you can ship them back to Crayola to be recycled!

Crayola and schools across North America are banding together to help kids understand the importance of their role in protecting the environment. That’s why we launched Crayola ColorCycle. Through this initiative, students in K-12 schools across the continental United States and parts of Canada can collect and repurpose used Crayola markers.

ColorCycle is also a great opportunity for teachers and their students to explore eco-friendly practices. Specially developed standards-based lesson plans are available to enrich instruction and promote lively class discussions.

Link to get started with this program:

4 Easy Steps to an Eco-Cool School!

Participating in ColorCycle with your school is as easy as 1-2-3-4!

Step 1

Engage & Educate

Inform your school administrators or PTO about participating in the ColorCycle program.

Step 2

Collect & Count

Set up a collection station in your school for used markers. Count up all the markers.

Step 3

Pack & Print

Pack markers in a cardboard box (with minimal outer markings). Print out a shipping label.

Step 4

Ship & Smile

FedEx Ground will pick up the markers — Crayola pays all shipping charges! Finally, smile – you just saved the planet! Get Started here!

https://www.crayola.com/colorcycle/sign-in.aspx

 http://www.crayola.com/colorcycle.aspx 

This program is currently in the US & parts of Canada, check website & www.crayola.com/colorcycle/frequently-asked-questions.aspx – FAQ.

Kids get so excited to set up boxes at their schools…know any teachers? These markers were collected in just 3 months at a preschool! Imagine what we could divert from landfills during the whole school year at every school!

Kindly Share! Thank you!

Art Importance

The Importance of Art

Why is Art Important?

My 4 and 6-year-old grandchildren enjoy using play dough. They like to mix colors and create different shapes. I find that they continuously use the play dough when it comes to art, but are they really learning something from this? 
– Sarah , Burbank, CA

hobby ideas

Art is important because it encompasses all the developmental domains in child development. Art lends itself to physical development and the enhancement of fine and gross motor skills. For instance, when kids work with play dough, they fine-tune their muscle control in their fingers. All manipulative movements involved in art help develop hand and finger muscles that are needed to properly hold and use a pencil. 

Art activities also help children’s social and emotional development. Children learn about themselves and others through art activities. It really helps them build self-esteem. It’s an opportunity for children to make a personal statement about their uniqueness through art while allowing them to express happiness, joy, and pride. 

Art also enhances children’s cognitive development which can help kids with their early math skills. Children who have experienced a wide range of people and places will have an array of ideas to choose from when doing art. Art reflects what a child knows about the world and enables the child to choose how to translate those ideas and experiences. 

Finally, art is important because it allows children to be creative. Each piece of clay manipulated or each easel painting is individual and original to each child in your program. Art is open-ended and all work can be honored. 

Art should be an everyday activity. Even if you don’t have a lot of tools at your disposal, it’s really easy to set up a low-cost easel in your home. For toddlers, you would want to include very basic items that focus on the sensory aspects of art, such as finger paint, play dough and fat crayons. 

For preschoolers you’ll want to add things like paint brushes, an easel, glue, tape and scissors. As your kids get older and start exploring their creativity, you’ll start adding more items to your art supplies, like pie tins, old socks and scraps of fabric. 

It’s extremely important to make your art activities open-ended because we don’t want to stifle children’s individual creativity. Children have their own thoughts and ideas of how things should look and they come to art with their own unique experiences. Open-ended experiences are success-oriented because there’s no one right way to do something. Open-ended art activities are motivating for children of all developmental abilities. They build feelings of independence, confidence and an eagerness to learn. 

All children really need to draw is a blank piece of paper and a writing instrument. Child Care providers should never use coloring books or dittos in their programs. They are creativity stiflers. Drawings in those books are some other artist’s rendering of what objects should look like. Children have their own ideas about how things should look. 

Never pre-cut or draw things for children. If you pre-cut a bunny rabbit and ask kids to paint or color it, it is not their bunny. It is your idea of what a bunny looks like. The bunny may have no meaning to a child if the child has no prior experience with bunnies. If you draw for a child, the child internalizes that they are incapable of drawing in their own right and may begin to doubt their own abilities. Read more: http://www.aplaceofourown.org/question_detail.php?id=235

Ceramic Christmas tree by Greg-Marmai

Vintage Ceramic Christmas Trees

 Light up the season, The holiday starts here!

Christmas Family

It’s time for a new, old tradition #CeramicChristmasTrees

The Christmas holidays have long been connected to tradition and heritage, yet not just of the tradition itself, but of the family traditions that we develop along the way.  It could be the tradition of taking a family trip out of state to see some distant relative, or it could be an old-fashioned turkey dinner at Grandma’s house for the holidays; whatever your tradition, the holidays are here for the enjoying. Here at the Creative Arts Studio in historic, Royal Oak, Michigan, we are ready for your visit, to create a new family tradition – handcrafted, Ceramic Christmas trees.

Fox 2 News Detroit: How to paint your own vintage ceramic Christmas tree



The vintage ceramic Christmas tree is back — and in a big way.
    
Joining FOX 2 to show us how we can make one like mom or grandma use to have are Creative Arts Studio owners Kristin Ashare and Dave Fredenberg.

They will be hosting Ceramic Christmas Tree Classes on February 7 and February 20 at the Creative Arts Studio, 114 W 4th St. in Royal Oak.

Call (248) 544-2234 or visit creativeartsstudios.com for more information.

Ceramic Christmas Tree

What’s trending? Time-honored traditions…

The tradition of handcrafting and hand painting ceramic Chrismas trees has grown in popularity over the years. These are the same Christmas trees that our grandparents’ used to have back in the day. Now that tradition is seeing a resurgence among families today, who want more of a hands-on experience to bond over and build memories with. So, if you’re looking for a new and different kind of holiday tradition to do with your family, then come out to The Creative Arts Studio and paint ceramic Christmas trees!  We have a lot of different sized trees to paint, and a lot of cool glazes to choose from.  

And to the next generation of artisans, and the next…

As greater Detroit, Michigan’s go-to destination for new holiday traditions and Christmas craft-making, the Creative Arts Studio has something here for everyone to enjoy. The studio offers classes in ornament painting, pottery painting, pallet board painting, canvas painting, wheel throwing and yes, even classes in painting Ceramic Christmas trees!  Our staff instructors are skilled artisans who are passionate about their craft and of imparting their time-honed tradition to the next generation of crafters and painters.

Wood Board Painting

Hand-crafting is the hot topic of the hour…

Perhaps, it’s that unique holiday tradition we partake in as a family – that is indeed the “Most Wonderful” thing about this time of year. So is the art of hand-painting ceramic Christmas trees. It’s been a long-held tradition that’s continued from the time of our grandparents unto this day. How is it that a tradition dating back decades has not only continued up until now but has, in fact, experienced a rebound in renewed interest among younger generations?  “The answer is simple – it’s the hands-on, do-it-yourself craftsmanship that’s involved in the process painting pottery with family and friends, and then having it fired in a kiln, that family members find to be rewarding and they remember the most.” says the staff at the Creative Arts Studio 

Invitation to experience a new tradition…

When visiting Detroit, Michigan or whether you’re a native Royal Oak resident who’s looking for something decidedly different to do for the holidays…then perhaps it’s time to break tradition and start forming a new one. The tradition of painting pottery is stronger than ever here at the Creative Arts Studio and we invite you and yours to celebrate this time-honored tradition with us… ‘round the craft-making, dining table.  

Your turn to pass along the torch of tradition…

As your extended, holiday family, the Creative Arts Studio welcomes you into our studio home for a Detroit, Michigan Christmas tradition like no other.  Come on in and paint a ceramic Christmas tree and you’ll discover why some traditions are worthy of our attention and are deserving to be passed along to the next generation of future artisans…

Wood Board Painting Quotes Sign Royal Oak and Detroit

 Light up the season, The holiday starts here!

Christmas-Fun
Spin Art Tee Shirts

Spin Art: Keeping the Wheels of Creativity Turning

#SpinArt

Spin Art

Spin Art: Shaping it your way…

Spin Art is a hands-on form of artwork involving the potter’s wheel, where a distinctive form of artwork is created by shaping the clay at the wheel while it spins at high speeds. The Creative Arts Studios of Royal Oak, Michigan is the premier, spin art, studio for the curious and the creative among us- to try their hands at the age-old form of spin-art.  This ancient form of art is growing in popularity as it’s a nice, change of pace from all things virtual and digital. In spin art, the potter sculpts and shapes the form after his/her own design using his/her hands, making it an intimately personalized form of artistry that every enthusiast should try!

Spin Art Fun

Spin Art: Trying your hands at the potter’s wheel…

In the Creative Arts Studios workshop, we invite you and yours to come and try your hands at the potter’s wheel!  Allow your imagination to flow freely through your fingers as you form what you feel, literally – with the clay. Spin art is the fun, new, yet old way for residents of Royal Oak, Michigan to partake in as a family outing or private event.  The sense of satisfaction that stems from forming something you’ve created with your hands – will inspire you for years to come!

Spin Art Camp

Spin Art: From time-honored tradition to newly improved techniques…

We also offer spin-art classes here at our Detroit-area studio-workshop, where you can learn this ancient art form and share of its bountiful rewards.  In spin-art, what you create is at your imagination’s fingertips – adding nuance and character at the touch of a finger. The Creative Arts Studios, along with its staff of artisans and enthusiasts are eager to share their knowledge of the time-honed traditions of spin art while spinning new techniques into the mix for something new, unique, and beautiful!

Spin Art Fun

Spin Art: The fun way to form a family tradition…

For something completely different, yet entirely worthwhile, we open our do-it-yourself workshop up to you for a private event or personal project, where you can be part of a time-honored, artistic tradition that’s still popular today!  Spin art blends the old with the new, making it ideal for all ages, every group and for enthusiasts and potters alike. Spin art is a fun, festive way to spend the day for a family outing, or for a private group event. You’ll find our Royal Oak, Michigan studio to be your fun, new destination for hands-on, do-it-yourself projects that your entire family or group will enjoy!

Spin Art Fun

Spin Art: Connect to the past at the touch of a fingertip…

Our state-of-the-art studio near the Motown capitol of Detroit, Michigan offers a unique, artistic adventure that has to be felt to be fully enjoyed and experienced.  Here, you can fully immerse yourself in the spin art adventure with our spin art classes and connect to your own personal history with this ancient form of art.  Then, with the help of our skillful staff of passionate artisans, they will also share some new techniques that will keep your creative wheels spinning, just like the spin-art you form at the potter’s wheel…

Spin Art Video

Fun Art Class Ideas

Wheel Throwing Fun

Hiring Wheel Throwing Instructors

#SpinArt Spin Art: Shaping it your way… Spin Art is a hands-on form of artwork involving the potter’s wheel, where a distinctive form of artwork is created by shaping the clay at the wheel while it spins at high speeds. The Creative Arts Studios of Royal Oak, Michigan is the premier, spin art, studio for […]

Read More
Crayola Cycle

ColorCycle by Crayola

#SpinArt Spin Art: Shaping it your way… Spin Art is a hands-on form of artwork involving the potter’s wheel, where a distinctive form of artwork is created by shaping the clay at the wheel while it spins at high speeds. The Creative Arts Studios of Royal Oak, Michigan is the premier, spin art, studio for […]

Read More
Art Importance

The Importance of Art

#SpinArt Spin Art: Shaping it your way… Spin Art is a hands-on form of artwork involving the potter’s wheel, where a distinctive form of artwork is created by shaping the clay at the wheel while it spins at high speeds. The Creative Arts Studios of Royal Oak, Michigan is the premier, spin art, studio for […]

Read More
hobby ideas

Bored? Look at These Craft Ideas!

Are You Bored? 

Do Crafts

Have you ever played one too many computer games or watched one too many old reruns? You just can’t get into another mystery and you just feel flat? Maybe you are suffering from boredom, that familiar accompaniment to our automated precooked lifestyles. If so, you need to check out these hobby ideas. Hobbies have been found to be therapeutic as they relieve stress and get the mind active. In this article, you’ll find hobby ideas for every sort of person, from the intellectual to the athlete, from the homemaker to the attorney.

 

Many times we are bored because we have become too inactive. If this is your problem, you might like a sports hobby. Have you ever tried tennis? How about golf? Many people simply love bowling until it becomes an important part of their lives. Sports hobbies get you out of the house and often are a way to make friends with others. Then again, some active hobbies can be enjoyed in our own homes, such as weight lifting and doing an aerobic dance to a video or going to an art studio, (hint, hint)!

Related Article: 

Glass-Fusing – The New Way to Bond

New forms of artistic expression await your discovery…

Creative Arts Studio

One of the most alluring facets about art – is that there’s never just one facet of art, but rather many. Art comes to us in the form of graphic art such as media, print, photography, and painting.  Then not to be outdone, there are the performing arts, which appears to us in the forms of music, theater, and dance. There are also the crafting arts such as sculpting, pottery, and woodworking that provide us another facet of art worth delving into and discovering. Still, art continues to compel us higher – into even greater depths of discovery, where imagination and ingenuity know no boundaries…  Here, at the Creative Arts Studio in beautiful, Royal Oak, Michigan, we’ll help you push your creative energies further, in new forms of artistic expression!

 

There are almost as many hobby ideas as there are bored people in the world because everyone puts their own spin on their favorite hobbies. Maybe you’d enjoy decorating your house with antiques, or learning to bake specialty bread from around the World. Maybe you’d like to take part in a little theatre production or learn to play guitar. What about the fine arts of weaving tapestries or painting with oils? Candle making, soap making, and many other old-time crafts are being enjoyed again. Truly, with all these hobby ideas, there is no reason to stay bored for long!

Art Hobbies

If you are looking for examples of hobbies, here you can find a list of hobbies: the 10 popular hobbies – activities & interests:

  1. Sports – Walking, Exercise, Running, Tennis, Bicycling, Swimming, Skiing, Golf, Team Sports etc
  2. Music – Playing, Listening
  3. Traveling, Fishing, hunting
  4. Socializing – Community work, Church Activities, Volunteer Work
  5. Painting
  6. Dancing
  7. Reading, Writing
  8. Computer
  9. Gardening
  10. Animal Care

 

Hobby Ideas

Wheel Throwing Fun

Hiring Wheel Throwing Instructors

Are You Bored?  Have you ever played one too many computer games or watched one too many old reruns? You just can’t get into another mystery and you just feel flat? Maybe you are suffering from boredom, that familiar accompaniment to our automated precooked lifestyles. If so, you need to check out these hobby ideas. […]

Read More
Crayola Cycle

ColorCycle by Crayola

Are You Bored?  Have you ever played one too many computer games or watched one too many old reruns? You just can’t get into another mystery and you just feel flat? Maybe you are suffering from boredom, that familiar accompaniment to our automated precooked lifestyles. If so, you need to check out these hobby ideas. […]

Read More
Art Importance

The Importance of Art

Are You Bored?  Have you ever played one too many computer games or watched one too many old reruns? You just can’t get into another mystery and you just feel flat? Maybe you are suffering from boredom, that familiar accompaniment to our automated precooked lifestyles. If so, you need to check out these hobby ideas. […]

Read More
Creative Arts Studio

The Creative Arts Studio Blog:

The Clarion Call to Create

Art is Life, Life is Art

Compelled to create…

From our wide-eyed waking moments into a world full of wonder to our later years our life to ponder, there’s a deep compelling need to create, be it in the form of drawing, the shape of sculpting or in the way of artistic expression. This compelling is much like a clarion call into action, that upon heeding the calling, we feel the need to set our creative energies into full motion… and create something.  To create is part of our genetic programming and here at the Creative Arts Studio in Royal Oak, Michigan, you’re allowed to do that very thing – to create something of your own artistic volition!  

 

New forms of artistic expression await your discovery…

Creative Arts Studio

One of the most alluring facets about art – is that there’s never just one facet of art, but rather many. Art comes to us in the form of graphic art such as media, print, photography, and painting.  Then not to be outdone, there are the performing arts, which appears to us in the forms of music, theater, and dance. There are also the crafting arts such as sculpting, pottery, and woodworking that provide us another facet of art worth delving into and discovering. Still, art continues to compel us higher – into even greater depths of discovery, where imagination and ingenuity know no boundaries…  Here, at the Creative Arts Studio in beautiful, Royal Oak, Michigan, we’ll help you push your creative energies further, in new forms of artistic expression!

 

The best tools and best tricks of the trade…

 

Our modern studio is equipped with the best tools of the artistic-trade – from canvas to paintbrushes and from ceramic figurines to kilns, the Creative Arts Studio is where everyday people from every age group and walk of life, become crafters and creators – make art in all its beautiful forms and outlets.  Whenever inspiration hits, it’s that clarion call to create ringing through loud and true that compels us to paint, sculpt, craft and build. Here imagination is king and being creative is to free the artist within.

 

CAS – an adventure in the arts!

Creative Arts Studio

The Creative Arts Studio invites you and yours out to our studio-artroom for an adventure in art, here in Royal Oak, Michigan, just outside of Detroit. There are many facets of art here for you to explore and indulge in.  You can paint on canvas, paint on pallet boards, paint on pottery or paint on ornaments. You can also make Raku pottery, mosaics, glass fusing, or you can try your hand at wheel throwing.  To experience art in all its forms is like an adventure in creativity, where whole new worlds await your discovery!   Let the Creative Arts Studio be your art-adventure headquarters for an experience in creativity that will keep you painting for years to come!.

Team Building

Creative Arts Parties for Adults: The Big Kids Playground

 

Wheel Throwing

The artistic staff at the Creative Arts Studio of Royal Oak, Michigan believes that both kids and adults should be able to work hard and be rewarded with the chance to play hard too.  Who says that adults – those of us who are really just big kids at heart – can’t have a playground to call our own and use our imaginations to make a beautiful piece of art?  

 

As adults, we are often encumbered with innumerable responsibilities that we don’t always provide the best care and attention for ourselves.  We need time to simply be adult-kids again..  Being an adult-kid again infers to playing as hard as or harder than you work because as with all hard work it’s great to be rewarded with play.  Here at the Creative Arts Studio, you are rewarded to play!  Yes, being an adult-kid again means to allow your imagination to soar free so you can create, build and make something memorable!

Adult Art Classes

Being an adult-kid entails creating without inhibition and working with your hands to make whatever your imagination can inspire.  Here, at the Creative Arts Studio, you are welcomed and encouraged to put your big-kid face on and come out to play!

 

Included in every Adult Party:

Pottery Painting, Mosaics, Glass Fusing, and Beading (you can mix and match!)

Main Studio prices apply

Groups of 15-24 receive 5% off their total!

Groups of 25+ receive 10% off their total!

 

Book Online!

 

Wheel Throwing

Head to the Wheel Throwing page for pricing information

Book Now

*Please call the studio at

248-544-2234 if you’d like to book the party room along with your wheel throwing event.

Canvas Painting

Head to the Canvas Painting page for pricing information and design options

Book Online!

Pallet Board Painting

Pallet Board Painting

Coffee Time

Head to the Pallet Board Painting page for pricing information:

Pallet Board Painting

 

If you have comments or questions or need some assistance with

your party or class, get in touch! We can help!