GARIE SIM'S PLAY CLAY WORKSHOP

Play Clay Class

Garie Sim’s intensive research and study of the benefits of play clay reveals to us the versatility of the medium – clay, which, in turn, promotes the children’s capacity to imagine, mould and create, thus improving the flexibility and adaptability required in any innovative response to the world. Playing with clay will shows the way toward self-expression and the attaining of a sense of self through the act of creation. Children who play computer game continuously neglect their school work and other more beneficial activities like music, art and reading. Playing with polymer clay gets children to exercise their hands and fingers with the kneading, shaping and the sensing of the shapes they create. Garie’s classes are styled in such a way that the children of different ages and capabilities intermingle, giving them opportunities to interact socially, thus inculcating in them better communicative skills and improved reflexes and reactions. The success of play-clay in developing the social skills, positive self-image and confidence of the children are mirrored by the artistic endeavors of his students whose creations have been featured in the media.
Unlike traditional clay and pottery classes that make ceramics from earthen clay, the colorful polymer clay that Garie uses in his classes encourages a child’s sense of visual artistry. The malleability of clay also allows the child the wonderful opportunity to exercise his or her
imagination. Garie’s myriad educational and commercial projects have been featured in magazines and television programs for children.
Garie encapsulates the key benefit of play-clay in this succinct remark about his classes, “The class environment lays the foundation for creative thinking in children, preparing them for the future, their aspirations and careers.” His focus on visualization instills in the children the necessary life skill of problem-solving. “Children learn that there are many solutions to a problem through these classes,” expounds Garie. He teaches them to picture the object intended for creation and their imagination and senses are engaged as they convert two-dimentional images to three-dimentional creations through visual memory. Their involvement in art and design as well as the contributions to school events promotes the initiative necessary for young entrepreneurship.

























Comments From The City-o-Clay Forum

From: AuntyAlias ( Moderator}
Subject: [CITY-o-Clay] Garie and the children are at it again
Date: 20 May 2009 PM 05:32:13
To: city-o-clay@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com

ClayMates:
Look at these happy little faces.
http://gariesim.blogspot.com/2009/05/garie-sims-play-clay-workshop.html
Garie: Tell the kids that Aunty is very proud of them.
xoxo
NJ
http://www.norajean.com/

From: garie@starhub.net.sg
Subject:[CITY-o-Clay] Re: Garie and the children are at it again
Date: 20 May 2009 PM 06:07:25
To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com

Thanks Aunty, Glad that you noticed my update on my blog, my students
will be very happy to receive your comments.
I have been busy updating thousands of information on my website to
give it a change, logo, background and images
Here's the new homepage, http://www.garieinternational.com.sg
Cheers!
Garie

From: AuntyAlias ( Moderator}
Subject:[CITY-o-Clay] New Website Layout: Garie and the children are at it again
Date: 21 May 2009 AM 12:41:03
To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com

http://www.garieinternational.com.sg

Gosh Garie, I can see that you've been doing a lot of work
on your website. It's looking great. It seems as if I'm not
the only one who got the re-organization bug.
Did you see the link for the Artist Action figures? I thought
of you because it seemed like something that you and the kids
might like to experiment with, movable clay figures.
From the bears and bunnies to the super hero figures your kids
make I'm sure it would be even more fun if the head and limbs
could move.
xoxo
NJ
http://www.norajean.com/

From:irish00128
Subject: Re: [CITY-o-Clay] Garie and the children are at it again
Date: 21 May 2009 AM 01:29:09
To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com

What wonderful little artists they are! Thanks for sharing that!
Bonnie

From: createdwithfire
Subject:Re: [CITY-o-Clay] Garie and the children are at it again
Date: 21 May 2009 AM 01:45:17
To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com

So adorable, loved the vases the girls made !
Take care,
Tina
CreatedWithFire Studios
http://www.createdwithfire.com
http://createdwithfire.deviantart.com/ (see my work in progress)
http://createdwithfire.blogspot.com/ (I have started blogging)

May wisdom, compassion, patience, generosity, and discipline
find their way to you today....

From: createdwithfire
Subject: Re: [CITY-o-Clay] Re: Garie's website
Date: 21 May 2009 AM 02:00:18
To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com

Garie, love the new set up on the website, very well put together and
easy to find all your great projects and pictures !
Take care,
Tina
CreatedWithFire Studios
http://www.createdwithfire.com
http://createdwithfire.deviantart.com/ (see my work in progress)
http://createdwithfire.blogspot.com/ (I have started blogging)

From: garie@starhub.net.sg
Subject:[CITY-o-Clay] Re: New Website Layout: Garie and the children are at it again
Date: 21 May 2009 AM 08:18:06
To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com

Aunty, Thanks for the mail, its morning in Singapore!
My website have been running for 12 years, I have not re-organize the site,
since the last 8 years. My initial attempt causes major problem to some of
the links and graphic. I was nervous and decided to change all the existing
logos, buttons, graphic, background, link structures and images.
Anyway, its good to re-organize our own site and updated it, try keeping
it basic.
" Did you see the link for the Artist Action figures? "
Sent me the link it will be interesting.
I had conducted some of the action figure for my young students,
http://www.garieinternational.com.sg/clay/clay_workshop/zhihao.htm
http://www.garieinternational.com.sg/clay/clay_workshop/ryan.htm
http://www.garieinternational.com.sg/clay/turtle.htm
http://www.garieinternational.com.sg/clay/student_s_w.htm
I'm glad to be back in the CITY.
Regards,
Garie

From: garie@starhub.net.sg
Subject: [CITY-o-Clay] Re: Garie and the children are at it again
Date: 21 May 2009 AM 08:28:48
To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com

Hi Bonnie, my students always appreciates any comments.
Regards,
Garie

From: garie@starhub.net.sg
Subject:[CITY-o-Clay] Re: Garie and the children are at it again
Date: 21 May 2009 AM 08:50:04
To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com

Tina, After years of teaching Play Clay, I noticed that there are
more girls loves to hands-on with polymer clay. They are very
focus on every of their clay projects. As for the boys, some of
them really cannot keep still and I told them that I will apply
Superglue on their seat to stick them down. It took me quite
awhile to help them concentrate in their clay sessions. Once,
they are able to seat for 45 minutes and playing with the clay,
extending another half an hour will not be a problem.
Thanks for the comments.
" Garie, love the new set up on the website, very well put together
and easy to find all your great projects and pictures ! "
I'm glad you like my new set up, there are many occasions that
my visitors got lost on my site, a home link is very important on
every page. I've also notice that there's some increase in visitors
on the main page.
Thanks,
Regards,
Garie

From: peggyhcrafts
Subject:[CITY-o-Clay] Re: New Website Layout: Garie and the children are at it again
Date: 22 May 2009 AM 09:23:01
To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com

Gosh, Garie. The website turned out awesome! With all that you do
I'm surprised you found the time to do such a massive project as that.
HUGZ
PeggyH

From: garie@starhub.net.sg
Subject: [CITY-o-Clay] Re: New Website Layout: Garie and the children are at it again
Date: 22 May 2009 PM 12:24:14
To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com

Hi PeggyH, It took me a few weeks and I'm still updating the site,
I always like a darker background as the images will show up better
in contrast with the lettering, as for my shopping page, it took me
sometime to select the background, just like choosing wallpaper for
your home, at times, I've to create my own background through Photoshop.
Its quite an experience after when you put up all together.
Thanks,
Cheers!
Garie

From: tirzawolf
Subject: [CITY-o-Clay] Lilac's birthday - Garie Sim style - a major success!!
Date: 22 May 2009 PM 10:30:24
To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com

Garie! you must know I am so grateful to you for having those wonderful
Ideas!

A friend of mine asked me to hold a clay birthday party for kids 7 years
old. We all, kids, parents and me "Teacher" (LOL) had such fun. The kids
were amazing. They were ignited by my enthusiasm and fun and we hed a
terrific time. you could see trhe kids were having a lot of fun.
I brought wth me all kind of "equipment" gadgets like cookies cutters
and garlic mincers gadgets that makes "clay hair" and that sorts and
demostrated how to stick cane slices to a baked clay covered egg.
I just had such good vibes from the kids, they were loveable!
girls made little corsages of flowers and one girl made a farm scene
with bunches of fresh cut wheat and cows grazsing around.
a boys made a Helicopter landed in the midst of a bush and he just fell
in love with the garlic mince machine making a huge patch of greenery.
some of the kids wanted to have samples before theri eyes and here are
the samples I made:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tirza_wolf/3554332474/

some of them had their own ideas which were brilliant:
here are the kids, the birthday girl, Lilac and the Baloons and the the
birthday girl's mom:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tirza_wolf/3554257238/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tirza_wolf/3553450189/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tirza_wolf/3554257460/in/photostream/

there is a picture of me too, but It has to be emailed to me.
take care and a restful weekend!
Tirza.

From: garie@starhub.net.sg
Subject:[CITY-o-Clay] Re: Lilac's birthday - Garie Sim style - a major success!!
Date: 23 May 2009 PM 12:47:00
To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com

Tirza, Thanks for sharing, I really enjoy looking at those party kids
with their clay works, its a great success! Hope to have more workshop
or clay party like yours so that we can share them. The things about
polymer clay for the kids, everything they made is an adventure to fun
in clay creation.
I will like to have a picture of you and the kids so that I can put
it up o my site.
Thanks,
Regards,
Garie

From: clayr12
Subject: Re: [CITY-o-Clay] Garie and the children are at it again
Date: 24 May 2009 AM 06:11:20
To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com

OMG! Garie is brilliant! Ages ago, I stumbled on his website
when I was a member of PCP. I wrote him asking a question
about baking & he answered pretty promptly. I even saved it,
because he's, well, famous.. lol. I'm such a HUGE fan of his!!!
I *so* want to make cake with baking soda & TLS.. just haven't
had time!! Oh wow, he is just one of the best..
Trace
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clayrplayr/
http://www.jnjartstudioandsupplies.com - Great clay deals!
http://www.polyclayplay.com - Tutorials, challenges & so much more!

From: garie@starhub.net.sg
Subject: [CITY-o-Clay] Re: Garie and the children are at it again
Date: 24 May 2009 PM 09:32:28
To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com

Hi Trace, I am humbled by your comments, we all need to share the
knowledge of what we loves best. I am also grateful to all the artists
at City for their encouragement for our children at our workshop.
" The more you feel the clay, your skill will better each day "
Regards,
Garie

From: clayr12
Subject: [CITY-o-Clay] Garie
Date: 31 May 2009 PM 11:35:39
To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com

When I wrote that, I had absolutely NO idea you were on this list!!
LOL! It took a while for it to sink in, actually. Soon after that,
the computer broke (cooincidence?? lol) Seriously - It's an absolute
honor to be here at City with such well-known names. I'm on a few
clay lists, including one I started myself, and this one is definetly
unique! Like alot of other artists, I'm also self-taught... me, having
a love for clay since before I could even write my name. There were no
workshops for kids back then, just simple art class. Which I will
treasure always! Times sure have changed & what you do with the kids
is just incredible!
Trace
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clayrplayr/
http://www.jnjartstudioandsupplies.com - Great clay deals!
http://www.polyclayplay.com - Tutorials, challenges & so much more!

From: garie@starhub.net.sg
Subject: [CITY-o-Clay] Re: Garie
Date: 01 Jun 2009 AM 07:39:17
To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: CITY-o-Clay@yahoogroups.com

Trace Thanks, LOL!, I'm always happy to talk to all the fine people in
the City, sorry about your computer broke down....... it always happen,
I had my recent experience too.
Look at your clay works, you are self-taught, your pictures speak alot,
nobody can flaw you, when you are playing with polymer clay, its your
passion and creation, you are an artist on your own.
For all the kids at our workshop, I am happy to share with them my clay
arts, happy and fun to interact with them, happy to see them growing with
their life skill.
From here, I also wishes City a Happy Tenth Year Anniversary
Thanks for the reminder Luny!
Regards,
Garie