More hands-on workshops...They're comin'!

I've received a couple of requests over the past month to get another one of our American Clay workshops on the calendar. Keep your eyes on the blog for a date to be chosen shortly. Perhaps we'll see some of the teachers I met today! Thanks again for coming to today's presentation!

Interactive Clay Demo

From time to time, Surface Elements provides inservices and presentations about American Clay to help spread the word about this fun and innovative product. A couple of weeks ago I was approached by Mary Frances Hobbs, a teacher at the Math Science Innovation Center, who asked if I'd be willing to present about American Clay at an end-of-the-year workshop on green building methods and products. Having worked in education in a previous career incarnation, I happily obliged. Teachers deserve all the tools they can get! We opted for an interactive workshop, and got everyone involved in spreading a bit of clay themselves. Their final samples can be taken back to their classrooms and shared with students.

I owe a special thanks to Tom and Mary Frances Hobbs (pictured above) for their help in getting the materials together for this fun presentation. I couldn't have done it without your help!

For anyone who's never heard of it, check out the website for the Math Science Innovation Center. We're so fortunate to have such a great local resource!

Mi Casa es Su Casa

From time to time, a client will request to see an installed clay wall to gain a better visual understanding of American Clay. We owe a big thank you to the homeowners who have graciously opened up their homes to show off their beautiful walls. Muchas Gracias!

Eco-Friendly Drywall

I'd like to take a moment to introduce those of you who are unfamiliar to an inspirational website called TED.com. Every year, the most creative, groundbreaking ideas in the world are shared at the TED conference. On this site, you'll find hundreds of videos that are sure to teach you something new, make you smile, make you gasp, or at the very least, make you aware of more of what's happening in our little world.

This morning, I came across this introduction to Kevin Surace, the inventor of EcoRock, an award-winning eco-friendly drywall. It's 3 minutes long and well worth a break from your day. I don't believe this is available in Richmond, yet. Let's get it here. Demand that our builders, contractors, and product suppliers use better, healthier materials, and it will help it come faster.

An Inspired Office

A dear client recently asked me to install Loma in her office and requested some help picking a color. She works from home as a writer, so the comfort of her office is crucial. Having discussed colors with her in the past, she was interested in choosing a version of orange to support her creativity. She settled on Amber Grain, one of the "Natural Depths" American Clay colors. This was my first job installing Amber Grain, and I was immediately struck by the rich, deep umber as I spread it on the walls.

Having completed several other clay rooms in this home, the homeowner and I discussed ways of integrating leftover clay into a decorative wall in the office. We decided to blend three colors (Rio Grande Pecan, Acacia, and Amber Grain) on the main wall people will see when they enter the room. The result? A warm, inviting office with walls that beg to be touched.

What makes the clay stick to the walls?

During a recent clay consultation I was asked what ingredients in American Clay make it "set up", or harden on the walls. Many other plasters and similar products, such as concrete, have ingredients that cause a chemical reaction and make the substance harden as it dries. The client had a hard time understanding that there aren't any ingredients that will cause this type of reaction to occur. So what makes the clay hard?

Here's the secret...ELBOW GREASE, and lots of it! Here's a picture of clay being compressed in a Church Hill residence. You can almost see the sweat...oh, and the blisters.

American Clay is made from 100% natural, non-toxic ingredients. Its strength and durability come from a mechanical bond created during the final stage of installation, called compression. Without compression, the clay will feel rough, dusty, and more like...dirt. As American Clay always says, "In order to impress, you must compress".

Custom Color Matching

From time to time, we're asked if we can match clay plaster to paint colors. There are over 40 standard American Clay colors, but if you can't find one that matches exactly what you're looking for, you can indeed have a color matched to your specifications. 

Here's a link to American Clay's blog post on the topic...