the three youngest kids took a clay class here in town.
i think having a real clay studio is not that common for a small town.
but we are lucky.
i convinced talby to take it with sean since he would be the only boy.
then when we went to the first class annie announced "i can't come here cause i'm too young!"
which is what i told her.
the teacher said "you can come….you are old enough"
i smiled.
ok….i guess we can put one more of you in class…it's only money right? ha ha ha NOT.
then i left.
alone.
that was the second best part of the class….1.5 hours to myself.
doesn't seem like much but after weeks and weeks of 24 -7….it was so good.
this mug is really a small pitcher!
annie's horse.
annie's bunny.
this was a plate of annie's…she drew robots, rockets and sunflowers on it.
it is my favorite thing of hers.
sean's vase.
i love this for many reasons….so cool.
talby's fish.
she doesn't like it because it's weird.
i said "do you know how many crazy weird fish God made in the ocean?! this is perfect!"
talby's bunny.
talby's.
this is the prettiest cup.
the butterfly turned out so lovely.
and i love how you can see the texture of canvas on the inside too!
i loved that they got to work in a real studio.
using the real tools.
they were so proud of their work…loved the class…and the cats there too.
it was a good investment.
kristine - good answer to talby! i will have to remember that!
i want to eat talby’s bunny – it looks like a cinnamon roll!
your kids are great artists! it runs in the fam!
great pics! looks like you could do the brochure for their art gallery!
coach suitcase - Just for today I will be unafraid. Especially I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful，and to believe that as I give to the world, so the world will give to me.
Thedomesticfringe.wordpress.com - I think I just lost my comment. 🙁
Love what your kids created. Sounds like just the type of class my own children would enjoy and I’d definitely take full advantage of the 1.5 hours alone.
-FringeGirl
Rachel / cREaTe - so fun. these were always my favorite type of summer activities … i could totally relate to talby’s fish … when i was in grade school i made a bird that was “weird”. and my mom still has it displayed on a shelf. it’s still weird, still bugs. 🙂 ha ha but your response is perfect.
crystal - Once again, your children have created such beautiful artwork! These are fantastic!
Gekakel - What a beautiful creations they made! I love Sean´s vase and the cup with the butterfly.
Gail - Wow! I love this as an activity for kids – so different to the usual classes! I think my daughter would love it.
I just had a sneaky browse around your site – visiting from Laura’s.
Will be back for sure!
jeanne - These are REALLY good. So wonderful that you have that available in your town.
bobbie - that is awesome. I’m dying to take another clay class myself but I guess I just need to make the time to do it.
Lia - I think Annie really has a special talent. That bunny was awesome! I wish I was that talented when I was 5…or even now I guess.
Kelly - Wow! They sure were productive in only an hour and a half! It’s wonderful that they are exposed to so much. They will become well-rounded adults later in life. What wonderful memories you’re creating!
Holly @ Roller Coaster Life Rhodes - how awesome is that!!! i would love to do something like that myself!! and way to go to the teacher for hanging out with all of those.. kids!! 2 is enough for me!
Mallory Simonis - Dear Meg,
By complete and utter accident, I came across your blog. I was in Lowes with my husband, and just so happened to pick up “Flea Market Style.” I somehow flipped to a section with your blog mentioned in it, and wrote down your web address. I looked at a few other websites that were mentioned, but then immediately fell in love with yours. I have been reading every single post that you’ve written since 2007. Yes, I’m weird, but I got hooked.
The reason I’m writing now is just to say, thank you! Thank you so much for inspiring me to pick up my grandmother’s old sewing machine and attempt to carry on her beautiful tradition.
Thank you for inspiring me to attempt scrap booking, and finally buy that cheap little scap book set, on sale at Wal-Mart for $10.
Thank you for teaching me (a newlywed, 24 years old) how to cook a great meal, without having 10 million ingredients or directions to worry about.
Thank you for allowing me to dream about one day having a beautiful home back in the Mid-West, with lots of color!
Most of all, thank you for being such a strong Christian woman. I am so grateful that I came across your blog, and I am so happy that God is using you to inspire woman all over the world. You are a beautiful instrument of what He can do!
God’s richest blessings be with you and your beautiful family!
Linda Johnson - Beautifully talented children and I admire you so much for exposing them to the finer things in life and keeping them busy. They are very lucky to have you as their mother.
Linda~
Shann - Those are all awesome! Even the fish! 🙂 You are raising very artsy/creative kiddos! Thanks for sharing their masterpieces with us! 🙂
Ruth - these are so good! what a talented bunch you are. that last photo, talby looks so cute, and annie and the cat… priceless!
sheryl - What an awesome experience for your kids! They are quite creative!
Anya - They did all that in an hour and a half, that’s amazing. I wish I had been there, looks like fun, and I love the colours of the glazes. Treasures to keep forever.
Desiree Fawn - Oh gosh, that last photo is so sweet — esp. with the kitty in the background!
Maria - how neat! such a step up from just going into a place and painting on pre-made stuff…I’m going to have to look up and see if we have anything like that around here…
Holly - how fun! We have one here. they are pretty commmon in small towns I guess!
Rachael B - I love that Annie is just petting the cat in the background of the last picture. It’s so funny!
betsy - Did they make ALL of that in just 1.5 hours? That’s amazing! We used to take pottery class at our summer camp & my Mom still uses the bowls & platters we made 15-20 years ago!
Ashley Stinson - what a fun experience for your kiddos! i love all of the projects you do with them… i’m sure they are such creative, artistic, and imaginative people because of it. and i love how you told your daughter that God created lots of funny looking fish in the ocean… so sweet… and true! 🙂
Amanda C. - It’s a priceless investment! My mom, who is almost 50, (young!) has a clay elephant she made when she was probably Talby’s age. She treasures that elephant. It’s such a wonderful gift to give your kids!
dianereeves - I love Talby’s butterfly cup-it’s beautiful!
Sophie - So cute! Looks like you passed your creativity onto your kids (:
I’m especially a fan on Sean’s vase! Reminds me of when I was a kid. When I was about 6 or 7, I drew a picture of a white and blue striped vase with some flowers in it for my mom. She looked at it and said she’d love to have a real vase just like it, so my dad got an exact replica made for her birthday.
Ten years later, and it’s still sitting pretty in our dining room! (:
kamana - how wonderful! these are so creative.
amy d - all of their creations turned out so good!
i can’t even pick a favorite, cause there all so darn cute and amazing…i love to see what little minds come up with!
…and talby should know that even some of miss amy’s fish look a little wonky!
Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - Sean’s Vase, Talby’s butterfly and Annie’s bunny. Those are my favorites 🙂
Sharla - Wow, those are awesome. My 6 year old got a potterywheel for his bday from Hobby Lobby and we took the clay out this week and it was rock hard. He was so upset. We’re getting more, but he would LOVE this class! I loved everything – these are keepers!
Heather - love it! my son is taking one right now and i love seeing him in a real studio using real tools. it’s pretty empowering for a little kid.
Staci - Soooo fun!!!!!!!
AshleyAnn - I have a minor (though enough hours for a major) in ceramics…these pictures make me miss it so much. So who is more anxious to see your urban family shots…you or me?
mary beth - Hey I want to take that class! If I cried “I’m too old do you think the teacher would let me in???” Those pieces are so great and worth every penny, even if you have to go without milk for a week! Precious!
Dana@Bungalow'56 - Megan,
I understood the extra addition to the class immediately. So hard to say no. Wow, when we sign up for a clay class, it is far less in depth. I would be proud of these creations too. You are right, very very lucky to have this available to you. I know my kids would have loved it. Art with kids, something so organic about what they do. Loved this post.
Dana
Kirsten - What great creations!!! So funny, I had this conversation with the girl at Trader Joe’s not too long ago about teaching art at my daughter’s class, and she said she’s been thinking about opening a clay studio…
Brooke @ beachy keen girl - So awesome! Such artist 🙂 And I’m glad you got to enjoy 1.5 hrs to yourself — I’m sure it was a blast.
Melanie - They are so good. I love Talby’s butterfly!
Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - You are raising little artists. I love that. The butterfly cup was my favorite. Few things are as fun to me as doing just that. Those little clay places are just the best.
Tracey Garcia - My oldest started taking clay classes last summer and is doing it again this year. His creations are some of my greatest treasures. And our studio has two orange cats two!
Gemma - Lovely creations!! Annie terrorising the cat in the last picture made me laugh : )!!!
I’m having a giveaway to win a gift voucher worth £40/ $40 to spend with CSN! Simply comment on this post (saying what you’d buy) to enter
http://musings-of-a-gem.blogspot.com/2010/07/giveaway.html
Gemma x
Meg - My kids have taken several classes there, the first thing the teacher told them on their first class was that she would help them to make anything they could imagine….and she did. We came home with Christmas ornaments, turtles, snowmen and the most beautiful red and purple glazed vase I have ever set my eyes on.
laura - cool idea! they’ll remember that forever!
Christy - Awesome masterpieces!
Beth - My kids all took classes there too — really an awesome asset in our community!! So many “Ceramic” studios are the poured mold ceramics. I’m not saying there’s not a place in the world for those, but this is the real deal! Love it!
tami - Looks like soo much fun! I want to take my kids, love pottery.
mary elizabeth - That so rocks!!! Maddie will now make me go buy clay so it can be her artful day project (as she makes me check your blog daily for the artful project!) love that butterfly! I love Annie in the last picture loving the cat!!! 🙂
I just feel so good after I read orlook at your blog – it fills me with warm fuzzies – always no matter what!!!
se7en - Love it!!!
Bethany - These are so fun! They remind me of stuff my baby sister used to make… now she’s selling some of her pottery at $200 a pop. (Maybe the extra cost to put Annie in the class will eventually pay off!)
Vera - COOL!!!!! Of course it doesn’t surprise me at all that your kids are crazy awesome creative.
Michelle - You have some amazing artists there Meg! I love how Annie just got herself a seat in that class.
lorel - These are fantastic you guys!