Petrified Forest is located in rural Berks County, Pennsylvania, in a 1781 stone barn and grist mill. The surrounding 15 acres assures an ample supply of native leaves, including oak, maple, chestnut, sumac, wild grape vine, and sassafras. The artists have planted other trees, such as sawtooth oak, ginko, and Japanese maple, which gives each artist a large pallet of shapes and textures for their designs. Each piece begins with a quiet walk in the woods, where Stephen Day selects the leaves that make each piece a unique work of art. Like snowflakes, no two leaves are exactly the same, and we think of them as “God’s fingerprints”. Back in the studio, a thick slab of stoneware clay is rolled out, then the shape of the finished Bowl or tile is cut from the slab. While it is still soft, colors are applied to the clay, and the leaf design is arranged. When the clay is firm enough to handle, the artist adds the additional colors and does the final shaping before firing the clay at over 2000° F.