Where can you find natural clay in P.A?

Question

I want some so I can try my hand at Pottery as a hobby. Stores and natural deposits would be nice suggestions.

Answer 1

Try looking at an arts & crafts store. As for natural deposits, just look around you. I live in western PA. and there is plenty of clay around here. Look for a shale bank.  

Answer 2

wow, my whole front lawn is pure clay. We spent about $500 dollars to buy cow manure from a friend. He filled up the back of his pickup truck 3 times in order to make grass grow. We tried to grow flowers they sprouted and then died. Then we bought flowers and they shriveled up in about a month. I tried to dig out an area to make a tomato garden, and I was pulling up nothing but globs of earth toned clay and rocks.

I'm sure it is fairly impure, but it sucks.

PA is a big place. If you live by the scranton/wilkes-barre area. I think that there is a micheals in dickson city that sells clay. But if you live more west or south I have no Idea. Maybe dial 411?

Answer 3

Natural clay may sound politically correct, but it is tricky to use and often requires cleaning.  Once you have it, you need to identify it so you can use the proper things with it.

Much better to buy a chunk of potters clay, both Michaels and Hobby Lobby carry it in 25 pound boxes.   Of course, having made something, you have to fire it to make it useful.  

Perhaps it would be best to contact ceramics suppliers near you (Google or Yahoo) or community colleges and ask about crafts classes in pottery.