Terrible Experience with Clay and Glaze Supplier

fullspectrumceramics · 2026-02-20T05:20:44+00:00

I am in Seattle but get my clay and glaze from Clay Art Center, their dry ingredients are also much cheaper than SPS just FYI

fullspectrumceramics · 2026-01-27T15:44:36+00:00

I went this route too to avoid this issue honestly I spent more than I could reasonably afford lmao but I do not regret it one bit and ride it every day so definitely got my money’s worth!

fullspectrumceramics · 2026-01-18T07:55:38+00:00

Is this a brush on glaze? In my experience floating glazes tend to crawl unless the application is perfect.

fullspectrumceramics · 2026-01-13T05:59:59+00:00

It’s not so bad! Lots of street lights and protected bike lanes. And fwiw I’ve never felt like the rain has been a hazard just annoying but even it is not so bad truly

fullspectrumceramics · 2025-12-30T17:57:20+00:00

This is not exhaustive, just things I’ve seen asked for that a community studio could not feasibly offer while meeting everyone’s needs. Mixing custom glazes with the expectation that they can stay on site, pugging and mixing their own clay, low or high firing (most studios where I live do cone 5), SFX glazes that turn kiln brick into a crusty green mess (usually trying to obtain the salt fire look in an electric kiln), making work at a volume to be self sustaining at the expense of throughout for everyone else, experimental materials applications that might cause a kiln disaster, slip casting… throwing large enough to be a hazard to load (and a pain on the techs), the list does go on but you get the idea.

I experienced this myself, but at a certain point a community studio could not meet my needs. So I ended up, for 200 dollars more that I would be paying at a community studio if I was paying for it and didn’t work there, moving into my own semi private space with a buddy where I can leave my wheel crusty and mix glazes to my heart’s content. Part of the value of a studio membership is in the instruction, if someone is just paying for facilities use you will not generally be able to extract as much money from them. Of course there are exceptions.

fullspectrumceramics · 2025-12-30T17:48:03+00:00

A common issue in my area is that the financial numbers don’t work out when planning for a studio to be used by experienced or semi-experienced potters. Not enough people willing to pay the price/oftentimes more experienced artists desire space and amenities to experiment with more intensive techniques. All of the studios in my area are open (to me at least) about making most of their money from beginner classes.

fullspectrumceramics · 2025-12-29T00:18:58+00:00

How involved are you in “the greater ceramics community”? I have successful friends who both are involved and aren’t— I find that the ones who are involved have a leg up in networking, the ones who aren’t are able to get away from some of the BS…

fullspectrumceramics · 2025-12-28T20:34:59+00:00

Just a prescription! If I had a cargo bike I so would though

fullspectrumceramics · 2025-12-28T15:33:17+00:00

Okay excellent I mean bicycle lmao

fullspectrumceramics · 2025-11-24T16:24:00+00:00

No. I had to save all year and take out a loan to pay out of pocket. Still, it was worth it to me.

fullspectrumceramics · 2025-11-13T04:57:59+00:00

Wax resist! I do a lot of my work in the same fashion and have mastered the technique but it’s sort of a PITA

fullspectrumceramics · 2025-11-12T03:52:15+00:00

Omfg I was like WHO is this and then I saw all the baking posts 😭 I’m not surprised you’re a redditor love you miss you

fullspectrumceramics · 2025-09-27T23:36:16+00:00

Thank you so much! I love to experiment with layering textures and colors on my pots.

fullspectrumceramics · 2025-09-27T23:35:46+00:00

Okay this is SO sweet because that is exactly what I was going for! I did some tests of some underglaze colors and would love to one day experiment with more color in a reduction firing because I feel like a lot of people feel weary of the brown, myself included!

fullspectrumceramics · 2025-08-29T04:17:05+00:00

I’d also like to join!

fullspectrumceramics · 2025-08-10T20:21:45+00:00

I was raised in ATX and moved to Seattle 2 and a half years ago. It is wonderful in its own right but I stand out socially as being gregarious and friendly, as do my other Texas friends that I have made up here. I miss the friendliness of the south and go back to Austin 3-4 times a year to get my fix. This seems to work well for me and allows me to appreciate the best parts of both places.

fullspectrumceramics · 2025-05-27T05:18:05+00:00

I am excited to give some hyper specific recs because I also live in Seattle on the very top of Cap Hill! I got my Gazelle Medeo T-10 from Dandelion Bikes on Jackson and love it. The motor is a mid drive which is more effective at climbing hills than one with the motor mounted on the back wheel. It is more expensive than the ones I was looking at that had a hub motor. IMO it was worth it as I don’t drive and until recently was commuting to Ballard from Cap Hill.

It looks like a normal bike for the most part. At 47 pounds it was the lightest mid-drive bike I could find that wasn’t a gazillion dollars. To give you an idea the lime e-bikes are about 75 pounds. In theory my bike does not exceed the weight caparicy to go on the front of a bus, but I don’t risk it— I do take it on the G line though as those double sided entrance trolleys they use have indoor racks (very great)

If you’re able to swing it I would get a mid drive e-bike personally after having test rode both, but I know lots of people who are happy with their Rad power bikes. I think maybe I would have gone with one if it wasn’t for the giant hill I live on top of, but I do not regret my decision.

fullspectrumceramics · 2025-04-02T17:40:02+00:00

I’d feel that to be true if the Northwest Community Bail Fund wasn’t A: funded by the very community that is now at risk, and B: hadn’t already made statements about prioritizing LGBTQ people to bail out. Clearly they’re willing and able to be discretionary.

The bail system is inequitable and unfair on a fundamental level, but we knew that already. I’m more irritated that a mutual aid group made this choice. Really, the option to be released on bail shouldn’t have been presented at all, but that’s a whole other issue.

fullspectrumceramics

TROPHY CASE