The other day, I found myself in a most unlikely place, somewhere you would never dream of finding someone with my refinement, my hoity-toity attitude, and my lack of ability to do anything that requires eye-hand coordination: Seize the Clay. Seize the Clay, similar to Color Me Mine, allows patrons to paint or decorate ceramic items, such as plates and geckos, then the store fires them in a kiln for you and you pick them up a few days later. For years, I giggled at the idea of Color Me Mine, which plays a small, comedic role in the Jon Favreau and Vince Vaugn movie Made. I suppose it is high time for me to retract my criticism, as I had a pretty righteous time.
A good friend of mine invited me and another one of our friends to paint Shabbat candlesticks. As I already have candlesticks for Shabbat, I decided to paint them for another friend as a surprise. Picking out which paint or glaze to use while trying to decide whether to risk a pattern or just stick with one color was surprisingly fun. I opted for a deep blue glaze called Babbling Brook, because the glazes have a speckled pattern. It should look quite classy. I hope.
The experience reminded me a bit of art class in elementary school. In first grade, we started with the pinch pot. You were given a ball of clay and “pinched” it into the shape of an open bowl. Then the teacher put it in the kiln. The next week in art class, she gave it back to you, and you painted it. I painted mine a mishmash of every blue available. Instead sitting flat on its bottom, it tilted a bit to the side, which with the paint job, made it look a bit off-kilter. My first pinch pot ended up holding my parents' change, paperclips, and rubber bands. In second grade, we graduated to pinch pots—-with lids. The handle on my lid was a woman’s face, and I remember being quite proud of how her black bun turned out. Finally, in third grade, we made banks, which were two pinch pots that we crosshatched together and cut a slit in for the money. Mine was a unicorn, with a tail and horn. It looked much too plump and would have been in no shape to magically disappear from any approaching impure people.
Aside from the flashbacks to art class, Seize the Clay offers a great atmosphere to sit and chat, with the added benefit of keeping your hands busy. It was relaxing to paint. I can’t remember the last time I had a paint brush in my hands, and it felt good. It also felt like time not wasted, because I was doing something. Never mind the fact that the other tables were filled with what appeared to be various Brownie Troops, we had a lively conversation and were not bothered by employees or other patrons.
So, my verdict: add Seize the Clay to the list of coffee shops, beauty shops, and tapas bars as good places for women to get together and talk.
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