10 GROUNDCOVER NEWS ART INTEL Undercover art intel: Ypsilanti pottery creations On a crisp fall day, I walked into this small but quaint store filled with pre-made ceramic molds. I was fascinated with the many varieties and kinds of molds. There were plates, bowls and cups but also vases and Christmas ornaments. What made me go “wow!” were the animals — including my favorite, a peacock, and many mythical enchanted unicorns and fairies. As I walked around the store, Glaze Studio, I was looking at the molds, and I saw Christian and Jewish molds, as well as molds for other religions. Holidays were represented as well, such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas. Hanukkah was also shown. It felt so inviting to see such a representation of what this nation truly is about. Two young women happened to show up and both picked out two items; one was a vase and the other a plate. I watched as they picked out the glaze colors for their items. One talked about doing Japanese spring cherry blossoms on her vase with pink and green. I myself picked out a small cute owl. I named him Hooty. As I painted him, I found the paint to be very thick. This was to make sure the glaze was going to truly stay on and shine. I gave the item back to Tobi, the owner of Glaze Studio, to fire it for many hours at 2,000 degrees and then let it cool for 14 hours and dry before pickup ten days later. The store appeals to people of all ages, though children have to clearly be accompanied and supervised by an adult. Another surprising thing is the variety of get togethers at Glaze, such as AA groups for sobriety, baby showers and women's groups. The space is for people across all spectrums to come and experience a new, but old, form of art. Each person picks out four to five paint colors. Glaze has sparkling colors with glass and plain colors as well, and other kinds with muted or plain colors. There are 50 available total. Tobi’s Glaze store is located at 54 N. Huron St. in downtown Ypsilanti. This was my first time getting to know Glaze as it is a fairly new business. What drew me here was very clear: all the white clay pre-slip molds that dry solid and ready for painting. How did this all start? Well, it began in the 1970s during the heyday of the hippy era and creating molds. Mainly artists had kilns in their backyards, and this was about free love and sharing art in large groups. What Tobi told me was people would just come together and do art in large exp. 01/31/2025 - CINDY GERE Groundcover vendor No. 279 Glaze Studio has a ceramic creations for everyone and everything! groups and family events — it was a very different age! What I discovered was a whole past of pre-made molds created in the 1970s. This world started out with people who owned and operated kilns out of the love of the process and end result. Then they started getting family and friends together in parties and gatherings for the love of taking a solid item home that could be placed on one's mantle to show off to the world. Tobi loved collecting the molds made with plaster of paris. She realized this dying art form was yet another perfect opportunity. Tobi had an inspired vision to bring back old art into a new age of public consciousness. This all happened with the encouragement of her kids. They told her, “Think of it, mom, paint your own pottery shop for other kids like us!” Tobi transitioned from being in the corporate world of web design and computer graphics to open the Glaze store in January and February of 2023. ”When I first opened my doors,” Tobi told me, “The community support and outpouring was extreme.” There truly is an art community in Ypsilanti that rivals Ann Arbor. There are many ways to express art and, to me, with people who feel they have no talent in art this is the most open inviting and exploration in art there is. I myself plan on taking my own family to experience this wonderful shop. So take a small day trip to the Glaze shop and discover a wonderful new form of old art. My next endeavor will be a real dragon for the year of the dragon we are in. — Kung Fu Panda MAY 31, 2024
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