January 2021 Layl Newsletter
On December 17th we lost a member of our Clay Squared family. Chris Madsen had been battling cancer for the past 4 years and we are heartbroken that she passed away last month. If you had placed any orders or come in to visit us in the past nine years you most likely encountered Chris and was impressed by her helpfulness and positivity. Read the whole story.
November 2020 Layl Newsletter
Want to get together and play with clay with family members over the holidays but you aren’t able to be together? It’s possible with a Zoom Clay Party! Your family can be in six different states and you can still connect with a fun clay project. I’ll ship out your supplies and each person can choose their own final project or we could all do the same project. It’s up to you. Contact layl@claysquared.com to get a Clay Party set up today!
A basic party starts with learning how to make two or three millefiori canes. Once the canes are crafted everyone can use their slices to cover an object or make an animal. It’s so fun to see what your friends and family come up with!
- $125 / 2 Hour Class
- $10 Supply fee / Person
- $10 shipping per location, curbside pick up also available.
- Contact Layl to arrange: layl@claysquared.com
Click here to read the whole Newsletter
July 2020 Clay Squared Newsletter
Resilience during this surreal moment is a priority for us at Clay Squared. Stresses like the pandemic, social unrest, and uncertainty in daily life have affected all of us. On top of these stresses, we must figure out how to adjust our daily lives. Layl has had to basically start a new way of doing business after all her art festivals were canceled this year. All the classes she used to teach in her studio are no longer possible, although she has taken up the challenge to learn how to teach over Zoom. She sends packets of clay and tools to students all over the country. She also has been doing a semi-regular “Layl Cam” on Facebook Live and YouTube of her making her polymer canes and sculptures. Both have done well and are growing.
Josh and the staff have continued to get projects to keep them busy making tiles. We feel incredibly lucky every day that we get sample requests and orders from homeowners for kitchens, bathrooms, and fireplace projects.
Keeping ourselves busy and focused has been key for us to stay mentally healthy. We also exercise daily to get a little break from all the challenges and to keep our minds fresh. We hope you are finding small things that make you happy and enjoy life in these challenging times too. Thank you for all your support. Click here to read the entire newsletter.
July 2020 Layl Newsletter
I really miss having people in my studio playing with my scrap pile in classes and open studios. At least I have been able to send a lot of my scraps off in kits and for classes- I actually have seen a dent in the pile! If you have ever seen my 16 foot long scrap pile under my plexiglass table top you know how amazing it is that I have a corner where I can see the bottom!
I was thrilled to get a chance to send a bunch of scraps to Nora Nosek so she could use them to make bead kits for kids. She lives in Madison WI and started her project with a simple call out to friends on Facebook. Now it has morphed into kits made for NAMI and Boys and Girls Club. Nora is bringing a lot of fun to a lot of kids in need during this tough time and I’m happy to help her out and know my scraps are getting out there in the world! Click here to reade the newsletter.
June 2020 Layl Newsletter
This past week has been the most painful and heartbreaking week in the memory of Minneapolis’ residents. I never thought I would see the entire area around the high school my daughters graduated from destroyed by fire and looting. But the anger at the killing of George Floyd has triggered some long seeded pain here and now around the country. My daughter has gone to protest and though I am filled with fear when she goes I support her desire to be heard. A lot of my friends live in the areas that are hard hit and Saturday night I read on Facebook about their plans to defend their own neighborhoods. Sadly, many small businesses and non-profits have been sacrificed in this cause and now they will need to rebuild.
I wanted to share a few of the places I am donating to with you. If you are in a place to give please consider a donation.
May 2020 Layl Newsletter
I hope you are all faring well in these unusual times. Here are some tidbits of distraction to get you through. Click here to read the newsletter.
April 2020 Clay Squared Newsletter
A lot has changed in a month has changed in a month. Click here to read more.
April 2020 Layl Newsletter
Amidst this COVID-19 health crisis, we have a few resources for artists, and some ways you can still support and be supported by the arts community. Click here to read more.
March 2020 Layl Newsletter
In her newest blog post, Layl reflects on the art which grabs her attention. She describes the feeling a viewer has of a magnificent piece, from the perspective of herself as an artist. She states: “I get obsessed just looking at them. They make me want to live vicariously through those artists. Which is crazy because I live that life already, compulsively creating nearly every day of my life.”
She reflects on the dualism of artist and viewer; creator and consumer. View the full post Here.
