"There is just something that draws me to clay," Leatherwood said. "I would get red clay from the banks and make little animals. I had a whole group of them lined up in my bedroom. Because they wouldn't get fired, they eventually crumbled and broke. But then, I would just go out and make some more."
Leatherwood's childhood pastime became her full-time career last week when she opened Kids 'N' Clay Pottery Studio in south Stafford. The studio, which will hold an official grand opening May 12, has a "paint-your-own studio" and also offers various classes in pottery and sculpting for people of all ages.
"Clay is the great equalizer and it doesn't matter what your background is," Leatherwood said. "Art crosses all boundaries and it is a way to relate to each other. Once you get your hands in the clay, you just can't stop playing with it."
Although she played with clay as a child, Leatherwood said her interest in it faded until a high school fieldtrip.
"We walked into a little pottery place in Annapolis, Md.," Leatherwood said. "It was a one-person studio and I was just overwhelmed. Ever since then, I've been hooked."
Leatherwood, a former art teacher with Stafford County Public Schools, said she always wanted to open her own studio, so when she discovered the Kids 'N' Clay program about 18 months ago, she knew it would be the perfect job for her.
"I've always wanted my own business and Stafford needs something like this," said Leatherwood, who received a degree in ceramics from Utah State University. "We have excellent art programs in the schools, but there needed to be something outside the classroom so children can continue while not in school."
Ceramic artist Kevin Nierman founded Kids 'N' Clay in 1988. The program, which began in Nierman's Berkeley, Calif. garage, turned into a franchise two years ago, Leatherwood said, noting that she is the third franchise to open in the Washington D.C. area.
"We look for people like Joyce who have an interest in kids and education," said Dave Larson, a spokesman for Kids 'N' Clay. "They don't place an art teacher at every school anymore, so we are trying to fill in the gap of arts education that has been cut out of many schools."
Kids 'N' Clay offers various programs including, sculpting, "hand building" and those that involve the pottery wheel, Leatherwood said, adding that hand building is used to make items like clocks, masks and plates, while the wheel is used to make more "functional" items like cups and bowls.
"This is the perfect business for my mom and because she was a teacher before, she knows how to teach children in numerous ways," said Leatherwood's 19-year-old daughter Rachel Leatherwood. "She loves being around children and loves what she does. I'm not very artistic but she can even inspire me. It's amazing."
Classes are open to children 3 and up. There are also adult sessions, Friday "family night" activities and a special storybook clay class for preschoolers who can hear a story and then make something that relates to the book.
"My goal is to make art and clay available to children and adults alike," Joyce Leatherwood said. "I want to give them an opportunity to be artists and let their creativity go."
In order to keep the teacher-to-student ratio low, residents must call ahead or register for classes. The paint-your-own pottery side of the studio, however, is open on a drop-in basis, Joyce Leatherwood said, adding that the studio will also host birthday parties, field trips and numerous summer programs.
"It's amazing to watch my mom bring out the creative side of a child who thinks they can't do anything," Rachel Leatherwood said, noting that she will help in the studio. "One thing my mom says is, 'if it was perfect, it could be bought in store.' I try to remember that and I think it's a great motto that shows anyone can do this."
The studio, which is located off Plantation Drive, is filled with art pieces made by Joyce Leatherwood, her family and friends. The walls are covered in bright, multi-colored paint and the miniature stools next to the pottery wheels are each decorated with items including everything from ice cream cones to a gumball machines.
"I wanted this to be a bright place and have people be surrounded by art," Joyce Leatherwood said. "I want to have an atmosphere of a studio, not a store. I want people to feel creative when they are in here and make whatever they want."
Leatherwood said she will host a grand opening at the studio on Saturday. The event will include prizes and refreshments and give residents a chance to try out the various forms of art offered at the studio.
In the future, Leatherwood said she plans to work more in the community, doing fundraisers and working with area schools. She also wants to bring other artists to the studio for special workshops and eventually showcase some of the work she has done over the years.
"This is what I love so I'm so excited to have my own studio," Leatherwood said. "To me, this is not work because when you are really into something, you don't see time. Clay is just something I have to do - I'm drawn to it and can't stop."