Cr8tive Clay

Love Affair With Earth Clay

by shellylarroyo

***Finished yarn bowl (close-up)******, © Shelly Arroyo.***

As an adult, I’ve dabbled in many traditional art forms. Clay sculpting being the most recent. For several years, I have had an online shop selling polymer clay pieces, but recently, earth clay has peaked my interest…I have a love affair with earth clay!

**Pottery wheels, 2018, © Shelly Arroyo.**

For Mother’s Day, my hubby, Rick, surprised me with a pottery wheel class at a nearby artist loft. It had been decades since I played with earth clay, and even longer since I tried a pottery wheel.

**Mama Chickpea sculpting, 2018, © Shelly Arroyo.**

**Mama Chickpea sculpting 2, 2018 © Shelly Arroyo.**

The outcome of my sessions was wild! I fell in love with this goofy character head, unifying my love of yarns with my love of clay. Natural fibers are some of my favorite supplies to create with, and playing with the messy earth clay left me longing again for a studio space to get messy in.

***Mama Chickpea and hubby, Rick, 2018 © Shelly Arroyo.***

“I fell in love with this goofy character head, unifying my love of yarns with my love of clay.”

***Finished yarn bowl, 2018 © Shelly Arroyo.***

PLEASE FOLLOW ME as I embark on a quest to enjoy, learn from, and raise my bamBEANos, in the best way this Mama Chickpea can. Art is my “balance” to life and I enjoy all the DIY therapy I can handle! To learn more about Mama Chickpea, click HERE.

To shop Mama Chickpea originals, click HERE.

All content and artwork © Shelly Arroyo, A.k.a. Mama Chickpea.

Blog, Cr8tive Clay

by shellylarroyo

In the winter 2017, an idea was hatching from numerous family trips: a family-run studio space for painting canvas and earth clay. This would be my second art studio, Cr8tive Clay, a long-awaited rebirth of all the things I loved about my previous art studio in Ohio.

**“Cr8tive Clay,” 2020, © Shelly Arroyo.**

Cr8tive Clay would have classes, parties, and fundraisers. A Saturday morning story hour with project, topping off my top favorites for the space. Ideas started hatching and our family kept visiting other pottery studios, eager to paint our next piece. We signed the lease for the space for Cr8tive Clay in the fall of 2019.

**Cr8tive Clay workers, 2020, © Shelly Arroyo.**

**“Cr8tive Clay” space, 2020, © Shelly Arroyo.**

**“Cr8tive Clay” space (painted), 2020, © Shelly Arroyo.**

Due to open the end of March 2020, we were surprised (like many!) with the Covid Pandemic shutting everything down. Orders for supplies were unable to be delayed, yet suppliers abroad closed, some overnight. With basic necessities like toilet paper being a hot commodity, while our local schools being online for almost two years, the keys had to be returned, and the idea shelved for the interim. Hopefully, a studio space will resurface again over time…fingers crossed.