Creators of Pottery tools that are innovative,
Reliable and Inspired by real world experience!
ABOUT
Marc Gaiger and Carol Bell started collaborating in 1999. Carol a potter and Marc a metal artist.
Finding the long dark Rochester, New York winter's a good reason to team up on some fun new exciting artwork that we could both sell in our art show booths come springtime! So after hours we joined forces and started creating. We made ceramic tiles of every size and shape and texture, played with glazes and glaze effects and produced bins full of them. Using sheet metal,the plasma cutter and metal brake we made various shapes, drilled a hole in the middle, had them powdercoated in assorted colors and they became our first line of clocks. “Timepieces” the artful way to tell time... that was “our” beginnings! Since those days we have designed, produced and sold so much artwork, traveling to sometimes over 20 shows a year and shipping our artwork to countless galleries across the country. We have won over 30 awards and ribbons over the years and traveled and exhibited throughout the Eastern United States. From home accents, furniture, collaborative sculptures and garden artwork and now more recently Marc’s adventures in Modern Day Blacksmithing. We have recently done less traveling to shows so Marc can concentrate on amazing custom railing project commissions and his Strong Arm Centering Tool business.
In 2003 Marc built me a pottery school, Turk Hill Craft School with his own two hands. By bringing a metal workers mindset to the pottery world Marc built equipment, stools, shelving and even rolling clay carts for each class to store their clay. Today our school boasts 9 instructors, 14 potters wheels, 2 custom built extruders, custom reclaim clay drying machine, custom tile drying machine, 6 kilns and lots of Marc’s invented tools. Our ceramics school keeps me busy with over 50 students and renters weekly coming to classes or just hanging out making pots. Marc still proclaims that building the school was the best thing he ever did.
The Strong Arm Centering Tool business came about when I personally needed a little extra help centering and opening my clay. It has exceeded all my expectations...I can produce double the work in half the time with a fraction of the energy expended. This is an amazing tool! I can make pots for the rest of my life and that makes me happy!
Marc
Marc is the proud American craftsman who oversees each and every Strong Arm made in the studio.
Carol
Carol is the potter who inspired the "Strong Arm project". She has been potting for over 40 years, she is our wheel throwing expert and prototype tester.