A (Fun!) Valuable Marketing Tool…

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Carrie

Recently, a friend sent me an email inviting me to join a website. My first thought was, “Please no. I don’t need any more reasons to be online!” Then I went and visited the site…and I agree that it’s a valuable site to join.

In our business, people need visuals. Clay plaster is a finish to be experienced, not described. Anything related to design, color, or personal interests are better in pictures than in words. Speaking of which, I’ll get to the point.

I give you Pinterest.

Pinterest is an online community of people “pinning” pictures of things that catch their attention. You can categorize them any way you want. Your pins are your profile.

So far, you can only join the site if you are invited. If you would like an email invite, send me a message at carrie@americanclay.com.

I hear this is a way of controlling the growth of their membership so their servers don’t crash. Not sure if it’s true, but I’d believe it. Pinterest has been around for a while and has a sizeable design community, and they’re continuing to add new members every day.

If you are a homeowner, you can pin pictures of interiors that inspire you to decorate your own home.

If you’re a contractor, designer, or architect, you can pin pictures of your own work to share with clients.

If you’re me, you pin inspiring photos of colors, artwork, places I’ve traveled, and most recently, clothing inspiration for 2 upcoming mid-summer weddings to help me streamline my shopping. There are many ways the site can be used. Once you start pinning photos, your friends and followers can re-pin and share them with others.

Having only been a member for a couple of weeks, I still have much to learn. I do know this. I’m hooked. If you decide to join, be prepared to spend a little time perusing through oodles of eye candy.

Until next time…Happy pinning!

Posted in Inspiration, Resources | Tagged | 1 Comment

Unusual Mica Finish

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Carrie

I’m in the middle of formulating an unusual custom sample, and figured some of you might appreciate what I’m learning in the process.

Late last week, a customer sent me a sample and requested that I match its appearance. As you can see from the photograph, it contains quite a bit of mica. The sample isn’t plaster, but we’ve been asked to try to create a similar finish using American Clay’s Loma plaster and whatever tools we have available to make it happen.

On a personal note, I didn’t think I was going to come anywhere close to something that looked like this. The amount of mica I’d have to add to the sample to get this effect seemed prohibitive. Enter American Clay’s CEO, Croft Elsaesser…

In his former professional life, Croft was a high-end decorative painter, plasterer, and finisher. He’s done all sorts of unique projects, which has allowed him many opportunities to experiment with materials. He took one look at the sample and said confidently that he felt we could develop something similar.

So, how much mica can be added to a batch of clay plaster (and comfortably, for that matter)? I think this amount was pushing the limits, but I’ll list my observations below.

We sell two sizes of mica, labeled “large” and “small”. To achieve a look similar to this finish, it took a few different experiments to get something that not only looked good, but actually kept the clay plaster somewhat workable. The latest sample contains the equivalent of 3-lbs of large mica and 1 and 1/2-lbs of small mica in one 50-lb batch of clay plaster. Never would I have believed that amount was safe to add to American Clay.

Things I noticed:

  • The clay plaster was more difficult to trowel, but not impossible
  • The consistency of the plaster made it a bit messier to work with, but adding a binder (like Plaster Plus or Up and EZ) helped a bit
  • The plaster took longer to dry than a typical clay finish (so increase air circulation in a room if doing a similar finish)
  • To get a smooth finish, I had to work harder than usual during the compression step

Something important that Croft pointed out as I was working – You can add small mica to clay plaster in larger quantities and maintain workability more easily than you can add large-flake mica. In a standard application, one package of either size won’t matter too much. In a case like this, however, it became obvious that such a quantity of large mica can make the material more difficult to trowel.

Another thought – If someone were to buy individual packs of mica to achieve this finish, it would be exorbitantly expensive. In this particular case, it makes sense for the clients to purchase the mica in bulk. As mentioned in previous entries, our pigments can be sold in bulk, per request. Our additives (mica and straw), can also be purchased in larger quantities to minimize expenses of a job.

This is an unusual finish that we don’t get too many requests for, but you never know when this kind of information will come in handy.

If you have a unique finish you’d like to brainstorm, feel free to send questions our way!

Posted in Creative Uses, How-To | 1 Comment

Get the Look – Raw Concrete

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Carrie

Image Source – Nested Yellow

A client recently posted a comment on a blog post that I felt would be a worthy feature here in my little color corner. Occasionally, I receive calls asking how to achieve the look of a concrete wall using American Clay. Having seen many different effects with concrete, this question is usually answered with more questions.

Here, I’ll attempt to give a basic, simple formula to achieve the look of a “raw looking concrete effect”, which was the specific request.

To achieve this effect, there are lots of different recipes that would work, but here’s one to use as a good starting point.

For the finish, I’d start with Marittimo, whose oyster shell aggregate could create a really interesting surface with lots of visual movement and variation.

Our clay plaster is a cool, gray-white in color without any pigment. To deepen the color to a more noticeable gray, add a bit of Wild Horse Smoke pigment until you reach a desired cool color. If you want a light color, you won’t need to use an entire color pack of this pigment. I’d suggest trying it at 25% strength, then add more pigment if it isn’t dark enough to suit your taste. Wild Horse Smoke is a blue-gray, so consider ahead of time if you want a cool concrete color or something warm. If you want it to be a warm gray, add a touch of either yellow (Acacia, Tucson Gold, or Sulphur Spring) or orange (Austin Blush, Borrego Tan, or Amber Grain). A little goes a long way, so make sure just to add a TINY amount at a time until you’ve removed the cool undertone. If you add too much of a warm color, your results will no longer be gray, and will be more of a green or brown color.

Once you’ve attained a color you like, apply the clay plaster following manufacturer instructions (properly prepared wall surface, Loma basecoat, Marittimo top coat). Once the Marittimo is dry, instead of doing a trowel compression, use a barely damp sponge to compress the wall. This will make the surface slightly rough, and with lots of visual texture revealed by the oyster shell. Once finished with the sponge compression, brush any loose shell and marble sand off the surface.

This ought to result in a beautiful concrete-like finish. These suggestions can be adapted in many ways – Colors and finishes can be changed easily based on personal preference. For more ideas or help with your project, feel free to give us a call here at the office.

Psst – Did anyone else notice the visually stunning blog I found that hosts the gorgeous image at the top of this post? Drop by and visit Nested Yellow, a blog written by an architectural designer. She also makes jewelry, so posts are laced with design inspiration and other things she finds interesting. Definitely a feast for the eyes. Well done, Anna…

Posted in Creative Uses, How-To, Inspiration, Resources | 3 Comments

Secret Color Weapons

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Carrie

Occasionally, I receive calls from customers who want to adapt a color to fit their needs. Often times, the color is close to what they want, but they need it to be slightly lighter, darker, brighter, cooler – you get the idea. Sometimes, they’re in a hurry, and don’t have the time to have a custom color created, which is fine. We’re used to fielding technical calls around this type of topic, and are happy to help.

In this blog entry, I’ll talk about the most popular pigments I use when creating custom colors, and will identify ways you could use these yourself to create the perfect color when preparing to apply American Clay to a wall. At this point, I turned to my color room for a visual reference…

Within our building, my room is the one that can get the dirtiest if I’m not careful. Bits of dry plaster and pigment can quickly layer like a fine dust over my cabinets, tables, and desk. Time and time again, when I go to clean these areas, the dust is the same color: a combination of plaster mixed with white and yellow pigment. Of the 30 pigments we use to create custom colors, these two are the definite rock stars on any given day. Let’s take a little time to explore them, shall we?

1. Sugarloaf White – One of our most popular colors on its own, this pigment can be combined with colors in our standard line to create a tint that is more pleasing than without it. Things to know:  Sugarloaf White is not very strong. If you’re looking for a brilliant white color, this pigment won’t get you there. Also worth noting: It can misbehave if you add too much of it to your plaster mix. It never hurts to give us a call to talk about safe pigment-to-plaster ratios.

Popular color combinations worth considering (in a 1:1 ratio, or by adding smaller quantities of either color):

  • Acacia & Sugarloaf White
  • Taos & Sugarloaf White
  • Tucson Gold & Sugarloaf White
  • Chacolatte & Sugarloaf White
  • Wild Horse Smoke & Sugarloaf White

2. Tucson Gold – Arguably, this is the most popular pigment I use when creating custom colors of any hue (reds, yellows, greens, blues, browns, blacks). If you ever find yourself thinking, “Hmm, I like this color, but it seems a little too cool,” then it’s possible that a bit of Tucson Gold pigment would help shift the undertone to something more appealing. Things to know about this pigment: A little goes a long way. If adding to a batch of plaster, start with a small amount, and increase it slowly until you reach your desired color. Another valuable point: This, along with all of our other yellow pigments, has a red/orange undertone. It would be difficult to create a cool yellow. A good way to describe it -  The color resembles something more like butter, less like lemon.

Popular color combinations worth considering:

  • Wild Horse Smoke with a touch of Tucson Gold (to create a warm grey)
  • Kentucky Moon with a touch of Tucson Gold (for a light aqua/turquoise tone)
  • Double Tucson Gold (for a richer version of this best seller)
  • Sugarloaf White with a touch of Tucson Gold (to create a warm white)
  • Bluefield with a touch of Tucson Gold (for an aqua/turquoise tone)

These two pigments definitely stand out above the rest, but if I had to offer other options worth having on-hand, they would be: Acacia, Sulphur Spring, Nantucket Sand, Wild Horse Smoke, and Mauna Loa. I often use these pigments in my custom color development, just not as frequently.

Tips to help guide you in developing your own colors on-site:

  1. Know that you aren’t alone. I field calls all the time from people who like to make their own colors, but who want a little guidance. You are always welcome to call for help and ideas.
  2. Always keep track of what you’re mixing by weight (not by volume). Keeping a notebook with recipes that keep track of gram or lb ratios of the pigments added to a batch of clay will help you with matching colors later. The first time you opt against tracking your own custom color formula will inevitably be a headache in the long run.
  3. Look to a color wheel for guidance. Often times, it can help you solve a color dilemma. Example: Wild Horse Smoke too cool or bluish on its own? Opposite of blue on a color wheel is orange. You could add orange, yellow, or a touch of red to cut the coolness of this color. Adding too much of a color’s opposite will neutralize it, so watch your ratios. Some pigments are stronger than others, and a little goes a long way. Again, feel free to call us for guidance.
  4. Every pigment has its own personality. If thinking of experimenting with a certain color, give us a call so we can offer a few tips to help you avoid problems.
  5. The clay plaster has its limitations when it comes to color. If you add too much pigment, it can create problems such as chalkiness on the surface, cracking, or crazing. A good rule of thumb is to add no more than 2- to 2-and-a-half lbs of pigment to a bag of Loma, Porcelina, or Marittimo. Even then, there are still certain pigments that should be added in smaller quantities to avoid potential problems. When in doubt, give us a call.
Posted in Color-Matching, Resources | 2 Comments

Stylish Blogger Award

Posted on February 3, 2011 by Carrie

I recently discovered a thoughtful message on my blog from our friends at Lisa Teague Studios. They’d received a Stylish Blogger Award from author Debbie of A Mind on Design. I wasn’t the least bit surprised. Lisa’s marketing director, Andi, recently started this blog, and is on FIRE creating great posts that inspire me on a regular basis. Andi was kind enough to pay it forward by offering me a Stylish Blogger Award.

As a recipient of this award, there are a few rules that I was asked to follow. So, what are they?

1.  Thank and link back to the blogger that awarded this to you.
2.  Share seven things about yourself.
3.  Award other fellow bloggers.
4.  Contact these bloggers and let them know that they have won the Stylish Blogger Award.

Okay, So I need to list seven facts about myself? I haven’t done anything like this in a while. Here goes nothin’…

1. Far from stylish myself, I manage my own style with a bit of humor and a good dash of color. At work, I dress in a style affectionately dubbed “homeless casual”. Off the clock, my friends have dubbed my clothing style the “Carrie uniform”, which consists of jeans or khakis, a simple shirt, and a colorful scarf.

2. My dog has two different-colored eyes. She’s a rescue from the SPCA. Her favorite things include food, boys, trash, and running (usually away from me, and too fast for anyone to catch her).
3. I recently visited Taos, which affirmed all of my reasons for moving to the Southwest in 2009. A place that magical is within short driving distance, and is an inexpensive weekend getaway. Taos, Santa Fe, Denver, Boulder, Phoenix, the Grand Canyon – All are a reasonable road trip from Albuquerque.

4. Three of the things I miss most about living on the East Coast? Maryland Blue Crabs and my two nieces…

5. I love art history, architecture, and other evidence of how events have shaped a place over time. This includes differences in ethnicity and spiritual beliefs. Multiculturalism is my soul food.

6. My family raised me to believe that I could achieve the same goals and successes as my male counterparts. I attended a women’s college, where they reinforced that message. I am easily frustrated by things like ageism and sexism. I’m working on it…and yeah, that’s a picture of a woman pushing against a glass ceiling. Corny, I know.

7. For the first time in life, I’m learning how to ski and snowboard. I avoided both for years because I always felt they were expensive and dangerous sports. Living so close to the mountains, I’ve found ways to snowboard pretty inexpensively. Unfortunately, I’ve discovered how easily I can get hurt. I suffered some bruised ribs over Christmas, and I’m still recovering.

The next part of the rules asks that I recognize other bloggers for their great work. I’m going to deviate a bit from the rules, because I’ve already identified a host of “stylish” blogs before. Instead, I’m going to list a few blogs that aren’t design related. Some of these are written by friends, others are just topics that I find really interesting. Enjoy…

Missives from the Birdcage – Written by a friend and amazing photographer, she shares her liberal and funny views about a host of topics.

Paint Cut Paste – Started by a graduate of the same master’s program I completed a while back, this Mom posts a great variety of art projects you can do with your kids. Kudos to Jen for her efforts to support and grow kids’ (and their parents’) creativity!

The Art Monastery Project – These folks are transforming an old Italian monastery into an international arts production house, and detailing their progress (as well as ways to support their mission and get involved).

The TED Blog – Yep, TED’s showing up on my blog again. Ideas worth spreading – This link shares the latest and greatest.

TEDx Events – This isn’t a blog, but if you want to see what TED events are coming to your area, here’s where to find ‘em. We’re working on plans for our 2011 Albuquerque TEDx event now. Details, as we release them, can be found here or here.

Project Interfaith – Supporting respect and relationships among people of different backgrounds and beliefs.

One Million Bones – The brain child of friend and American Clay lover, Naomi Natale – she’s doing her part to end genocide by bringing it up close and personal to Americans through her mass installation art project, one bone at a time.

Posted in About the Author | Comments Off

Learning About Pigments

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Carrie

Image Source

Today, I received a call from a plasterer curious to know more about our pigments. I gave him a typical answer, letting him know that we source our pigments from American companies, most of which are produced in the United States. There are a couple of pigments that, while we buy them from American sources, are imported from overseas. I also offered to email him a link to the page on our website that hosts all of the MSDS sheets for our products.

Interestingly, though, he was more curious to know about the process by which pigments are produced, and where different pigments are found throughout the world. The MSDS sheets were the least of his concern. He wanted to know the back story of the pigments, arguably, the more interesting and exciting information about these materials. This differs from one pigment to the next, and I offered to forward him a few resources that might feed his curiosity.

These sites remind me a bit of my love affair with art history. In grade school, standard history class didn’t hold my attention. When I started college, however, and took art history, it brought traditional history to life. When my professor combined something I loved with something I found less interesting, the combination was fascinating. Pigments create that same sort of magic when you start looking at their origins…You’ll never look at our pigments the same way once you learn their histories.

For a bit more information on the history, origin, and manufacturing process of pigments, there are a few places to look:

To scratch the surface, check out Wikipedia’s page on pigments. There’s some fun, meaty information in the history section. Did you know that colors like blue and purple are associated with royalty largely because the cost of these pigments was significantly higher than others? In addition to colorful historic facts, Wikipedia’s page also touches on the origin of some pigments, methods for determining quality, and their chemical compositions.

For a greater variety of information, here are some websites & blog posts to check out:

Pigments Through the Ages

The Painter’s Box: Painting a Portrait of Stella

Atelierartisanal’s Blog: A Place for Artists to Exchange Information Relating to Technique

The Creation of Color in 18th Century Europe, by Sarah Lowengard

On Chemistry and Color in Art, by Philip Ball (an Audio lecture that discusses how artists historically got their colors, and how technology has affected how we get our colors today)

For more in-depth information, there are a few great books (also referenced on the Wikipedia page) that go into color in great detail, specifically discussing the history and origin of pigments. I own a couple of these, and we keep Victoria Finlay’s book here in the office:

Finlay, Victoria (2003). Color: A Natural History of the Palette. Random House. ISBN 0-8129-7142-6

Ball, Philip (2002). Bright Earth: Art and the Invention of Color. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0-374-11679-2

Gage, John (1999). Color and Culture: Practice and Meaning from Antiquity to Abstraction. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-22225-3

I put this blog entry together pretty quickly. I’m sure there are many other sites worth checking out that aren’t listed here. If you have any resources you’d like to share, pass them along to me, and I’ll add them to the post.

I’ve addressed questions about pigments in the past, which are a bit more specific to American Clay. You can read them here:

Painting with Pigments

Oil Paints?

Adventures in Pigment

What’s in American Clay Pigments?

Posted in Inspiration, Resources | Tagged | Comments Off

Color Resources for “Smart” People

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Carrie

Smart phones. Touch pads. It seems they’re all the buzz these days. I don’t know exactly how many of you use these mini super-machines, but this post will be much more useful for those of you who do. In this blog entry, I’ll identify some fun color tools that can be downloaded to your iPhone, iPad, and in some cases, your Droid or Blackberry.

Before I get to the color resources, let me back up and tell you how I got “smart”. Last fall, I attended TEDxPhoenix, held in (you guessed it) Phoenix, Arizona. In addition to soaking up some infectious energy from speakers like Jay Rogers, Pam Slim, and Kimber Lanning, and taking home great swag like Refresh Glass, I also walked away with a free iPad. Yes, a FREE iPad.

I attended the event for the same reason a lot of others did – I support the non-profit mission of TED, and their new(ish) iteration, TEDx. TEDxPhoenix did a great job with their event, and at the end of the day, the event host, Tomas Carillo, gave away 2 gifts to attendees. No sooner did I let out a sigh of disappointment at not winning a stack of free books written by event speakers than I heard my name called for this electronic gem. I think I was floating on air for the next month. Thank you again to the folks at TEDxPhoenix for their generosity.

In the spirit of TED, I’m paying it forward by sharing some of the resources, specifically color resources, I’ve discovered through use of my iPad over the last few months. If your phone is capable of downloading apps, chances are, at least some of these are accessible to you. This is by no means a comprehensive list. They’re pretty specific to my job and also the things I’m drawn to, personally (like art). There are many others that may be useful depending on your needs. Hope they’re helpful, nonetheless!

Sherwin Williams ColorSnap

This app can be used to create custom palettes and save colors from your own uploaded photos.

Benjamin Moore ColorCapture

This app allows you to create custom palettes from your own photos. It also has a fun shake feature, which results in a palette of colors harmonious to the one you’ve selected.

Auryn Ink

This artistic app allows users to create their own watercolor creations. Named one of the Seven Most Innovative iPad Apps of 2010 by Fast Company.

Art Authority

Have a client who needs a little inspiration? Need some yourself? This app takes you inside an art museum to reveal more than 50,000 paintings and sculptures. Need some ideas of color-driven artists to get your creative juices flowing? Check out Wassily Kandinsky, Mark Rothko, JMW Turner, Jan Vermeer, Paul Gauguin, and Georgia O’Keeffe to get you started.

If these apps don’t fit your need, there are a host of others that are worth checking out. Here are some links that might lead you to another that’s more useful:

A Roundup of 15 iPhone Apps for Home Design by Unplggd

5 iPhone Apps for Interior Design by Patricia Gray

Interior Design iPhone Apps by Lindsay with Designers Call

You’ll notice that some of the apps referenced in these articles are repeats, but the different commentary and feedback that accompanies each article could prove helpful if trying to decide between which apps to download.

Posted in Color-Matching, Creative Uses, Inspiration, Resources | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Like Costco, Only Dustier

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Carrie

I was in the middle of a conversation with a coworker today when I realized I’ve never shared a valuable little known fact with readers here on the blog:  We sell our pigments in bulk quantities. Oh, and it’s cheaper. Who are we? Sam’s Club? Costco? Sort of, but it’s a lot dustier here at our warehouse than in those stores.

I have a handful of regular customers who like to order our pigments in large quantities. When asked what they do with them, they give a variety of answers. Some use them in other plasters, some mix them with cement, others make oil paints or tempera paints. Every customer’s use is a little different.

Depending on the pigment, the savings when buying a color in bulk could be significant. In some cases, this could mean that one pound of pigment would cost about the equivalent of buying 5-10 color packs.

What kind of bulk quantities are we talking about? Five pounds or more per pigment. If you’re an applicator who has a large job coming up that would require multiple packs of the same color, using bulk pigment could result in substantial savings.

If you have questions about ordering in bulk, or want help figuring out the types of tools you’d need if you want to use pigment in bulk rather than individual color packs, give us a call or email me at the office.

Posted in Creative Uses, Resources | Comments Off

Office Comedy…

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Carrie

Here at our office, Friday is shaping up to be pretty comical. I thought it would be worth sharing. Enjoy!

Posted in Videos | 1 Comment

Breaking the Silence

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Carrie

Oy vey…That post title sounds kind of dramatic compared to what I’ll write about in this entry. Kind of makes me chuckle. I just returned from being out of the office for a few days, and our receptionist, Ilene, mentioned that several people who called while I was gone mentioned that I’ve been awfully quiet lately. I guess I have, and I thought that might be a worthy post for the blog.

I’ve been introspective, to say the least, over the last month or so, which isn’t all that common when it comes to the blog. When I reflected on this, I realized that it might not be as unusual as I originally thought. Once upon a time, I studied Feng Shui pretty intensively. I studied for a year under a Feng Shui master who trained a group of us in the Entrance Method, Black Hat (most common form of Feng Shui here in the West), and Flying Star Feng Shui. It was fascinating information that seemed to make a lot of sense, and while I don’t often use it for design work these days, I think some of it could be useful to describe some of our surrounding environmental, economical, and cultural influences.

We’re currently in the middle of winter, which, when thinking about Feng Shui, means that it’s a season considered to be strongly influenced by the element of Metal. This element, translated to real life influences, is evidenced by the way nature dies or goes dormant for a few months. Many of us are forced to slow down or stop what we’re doing (often because of prohibitive weather or freezing conditions that prevent us from engaging in normal activities). Often, this ends up being a time of reflection and stillness.

Sadly, this has been a year full of waning activity for many businesses (not all, thankfully). Throughout the year, we heard from many people who experienced financial loss. It was also a year of human injuries and unexpected deaths. Whether it was a loss of money or a loss of life, our thoughts are with those who experienced a difficult 2010. Today, I returned to the office after having been in Arizona for a funeral, and it was also the weekend during which the mass shooting occurred resulting in multiple deaths and the near death of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Not a trend I’m happy about, but one that makes me very thankful for my comparitively simple life.

Another representation of the Metal element in Feng Shui is the cultivation of fertile ground from which new life can grow. The end of one year marks the beginning of another, and I’ve been milling over new ideas for 2011. I didn’t set any New Year’s Resolutions, but I do have some seeds that I hope to sprout into fruition over the next 11 months. I am thankful to have the support of coworkers to help bring these new ideas to light in support of our customers and of the business as a whole.

I could talk about the five elements of Feng Shui until readers’ eyes cross from looking at the computer screen, so I’ll wrap it up here. I opted not to reference any websites with information about Feng Shui, because I feel like it can be easily misused and misinterpreted. When it comes to design, Feng Shui should be implemented with care and attentiveness. If any readers would like references to books I’ve found useful on the subject, I’m happy to share their titles.

After a quiet few weeks, I’m brimming with a host of ideas that will likely pop up here on the blog. If there are any topics or color-related questions you’d like me to address, feel free to contact me.

Posted in About the Author | Tagged | 1 Comment