Debs Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 I’m going to be teaching ceramics this spring. I have not taught this course before and have had only one beginning class years ago. I will be teaching the basics to adults with developmental disabilities from mild to severe. I have been doing a lot of research and my first question is, where is the best overall place to buy supplies? Thanks so much in advance! I have always LOVED pottery and I am so excited to be teaching this class and finding this discussion group! I’m sure I will have many questions to come. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 Your local supplier most likely.Clay is heavy and shipping is very costly to ship. We do not have any idea where it is that you reside in? That will narrow down the answer a bit. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debs Posted January 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 Mark, Thank you for your reply. I am in Southern California, Orange County. I basically need everything except wheels and kiln. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 Laguna Clay company in city of Industry also Advark in so-cal both are east of you not far.Laguna being the largest. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docweathers Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 You may not want to buy everything at one place. Lightweight but costly materials, like some glaze ingredients, are often worth ordering from someplace like US pigment. Heavy cheap stuff like clay are certainly best bought from a local supplier. Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JBaymore Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 The less we support our local suppliers and manufacturers, the better the odds that there will soon not be a "local" source for anything any more fopr us to go to. We tend to cry "Support your local potter".... and then WE run off to places far away to buy our materials and equipment. Hypocritical. Same thing with ceramics books...... Steven Branfman's Potters Shop bookstore is an informational resource that can't be duplicated by something like Amazon. Call up with a vague idea ...and you'll get tons of great advice on potential books......often by Steven himself. Want quality tools and equipment and supplies? Then don't always nickel and dime the suppliers and manufacturers. There is a reason that some ceramics things are built to a barely adequate level; many potters will go elsewhere if the price is $1.00 more on a $100 purchase. Short term gain for long term loss . Crazy. best, .....................john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docweathers Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 in philosophy, I agree with John. However, my only local supplier often charges twice as much (including shipping costs) as mail-order, even for heavy things like moist clay, Also be cautious about buying iron oxide from Laguna. It has a lot of impurities. Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 Right now I am in the middle of researching my year's order for stains and my local suppliers prices are crazy high. Even with shipping I can get it cheaper from a "local supplier" in another city. Not a big supplier, another local place. The diff is up to $9 a pound. So, as much as I would like to shop local, guess what?? The other place is local for someone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthB Posted January 8, 2014 Report Share Posted January 8, 2014 Bailey has given me fantastic service and support over the years. No local supplier for me. Ruth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gardener Posted January 8, 2014 Report Share Posted January 8, 2014 I was going to make my own post, but I can't find where to do that at. Which I find funny because I post to a lot of different types of forums, lol. Anyway, we live in a trailer house, with no real way of firing anything. Now, we are fairly new to Amarillo, TX and I was told last night that there are no businesses left in Amarillo that supply ceramics and the various tools needed to create them. She said there are no businesses that will fire around here anymore. I need a place to fire my greenware. Does anyone know of a place where we can take our things to fire them? This lady had advertised in free cycle that she had a lot of molds, greenware, and bisque to give away after having tried all summer to sell it. I am relatively new to the idea and I learned a lot just from talking with her last night. But I need to find a place where I can buy the glaze and paint for instance. I was going to check out hobby lobby and walmart, but if anyone has any suggestions for someone on a budget who is mildly interested in the art form, please let me know. I have a large family, so I don't have a lot of time to really get into it right now, but someday I might, when they are older or grown, lol. Thank you for any helpful input you will share with me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docweathers Posted January 8, 2014 Report Share Posted January 8, 2014 I have had significant support problems from Laguna and no longer buy from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 8, 2014 Report Share Posted January 8, 2014 My thought on Laguna is they are not a great mail order place as Larry has noted above but why I suggested it is you can drive there in less than 30 minutes from where you live. They are your LOCAL supplier They will sell retail to you direct.They have a will call setup. Lagunas best mail order option is AXNER they are one in the same-only differeance is they are in Florida For Spokane the Local dealer is Seattle pottery supply or Tacoma Art Center-Larry would have to drive across WA state I have had both of these places ship to me. Debs as far as your closenest to Laguna they have a local low cost (used to be free) ship area and I think you are in it. I'm sure some minimums apply but they do school drop offs alot. but you could check into it. My potter friend in Santa Barbara has his clay dropped off (buy the ton)whenever he needs it as the Laguna Truck goes there almost every few weeks. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 9, 2014 Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 Norm Thanks for the update-it brought back old school memories as the last time I set foot on that location was when it was Westwood Clay Co. before the Brooks bought them out. I first went there in 1970 or 71 as a high schooler getting materials . I moved away in mid 71. that was many years ago-you are right if you are in that area go see what a large clay facility is like.If I recall they also had a railroad car unloading area in back?. Back in the day they had a straight retail store downstairs-later they switched it up to the will call thing. I recall visiting Laguna when they where in Santa Ana? I think, and got a tour of that plant-that was early to mid 80's. I met Jon Brooks at that time and switched my clay use to Daves Porcelain at that time as Westwood was making clay body errors and not responding. I wanted to see and get to know the place before switching over clay production to a new company. I have been using large amounts of their clay ever since -shipped up by the truck full to a few potters in this area once a year Later they bought up westwood and in time has bought Axner and Thorly shelve manufacturing and a few others if I recall. Jon's father moved up near me (25 miles) in retirement long ago-when he passed away I bought some ceramic stuff from the estate as well Its a small world. I still have a few bags of materials with westwood labels- I also sent Jon Paccini my old duplicate westwood catalogs as they did not have that history I think? Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 I’m going to be teaching ceramics this spring. I have not taught this course before and have had only one beginning class years ago. I will be teaching the basics to adults with developmental disabilities from mild to severe. I have been doing a lot of research and my first question is, where is the best overall place to buy supplies? Thanks so much in advance! I have always LOVED pottery and I am so excited to be teaching this class and finding this discussion group! I’m sure I will have many questions to come. JI volunteered at an adult mentally disabled drop-in center in Montana. When you say basics, I am not sure what you'll be doing. I had more succeed with small projects, Whistles were really popular. Painting tiles with overglazes was also popular. You'll have to see how they respond and then get more supplies.I made a lot of the tools like the bamboo sticks for whistles. Good luck. You'll be working on your angel wings but your work will be very much appreciated. .Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted January 12, 2014 Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 I was going to make my own post, but I can't find where to do that at. Which I find funny because I post to a lot of different types of forums, lol. Anyway, we live in a trailer house, with no real way of firing anything. Now, we are fairly new to Amarillo, TX and I was told last night that there are no businesses left in Amarillo that supply ceramics and the various tools needed to create them. She said there are no businesses that will fire around here anymore. I need a place to fire my greenware. Does anyone know of a place where we can take our things to fire them? This lady had advertised in free cycle that she had a lot of molds, greenware, and bisque to give away after having tried all summer to sell it. I am relatively new to the idea and I learned a lot just from talking with her last night. But I need to find a place where I can buy the glaze and paint for instance. I was going to check out hobby lobby and walmart, but if anyone has any suggestions for someone on a budget who is mildly interested in the art form, please let me know. I have a large family, so I don't have a lot of time to really get into it right now, but someday I might, when they are older or grown, lol. Thank you for any helpful input you will share with me! go to the theme like "In the Studio" and click on " start a new topic" ..very easy to do. marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.