Clay Vessels

Following sculpture exploration using paper and cardboard, students in Art One tried their hand at making pottery using clay.  Lucky for me, Ms. Moore was willing to loan my students all the clay they needed to make cups, bowls and vases.

  
First, students looked at images of pottery from around the world and learned ceramic terminology such as slip and score and bisqueware.  Next, they learned how to build using coils.  Each student drew an image in their sketchbook for a piece of pottery they would like to make.  They also cut a template out of cardboard that would act as a guide to creating the overall form/shape they desired. 

 
Students then used the coil building method and their template, to create vessels out of clay. Beginning with a vase, they slipped and scored each coil to the next one. 


 
Once the overall shape was achieved, the students were asked to include at least one additive feature and one subtractive feature. We looked at images of additive and subtractive features, and the students decided whether to add handles, feet, lids or another design feature. Each solution was unique and the students thoroughly enjoyed working with clay and with their hands to create a functional work of art. 


 
 

As a form of critique, the students went around once the pottery was complete, and offered feedback and complements to their peers.

This student made a vessel that is a bathtub!

Finally, thanks again to Ms. Moore and Ms. Beeman, each artist was able to glaze their pottery in the ceramics classroom, and they were fired in the kiln on time for the holidays. 

Students test whether their vessels hold water as they toast to their success!

Sculpture Experiments

Leading up to a longer pottery project, students explored different ways of making sculpture and forms using cardboard and paper. 

For one of the exercises, students viewed images of how architects create models for buildings, and explored examples of how different types of nets create forms.



   
Next, students chose a net to put together by tracing shapes or making their own. 


 
 









 Next, students used tabs, tape and glue to connect their shapes and put their net close to together.  Before putting it together for good, they used an X-Acto blade to cut negative space shapes and windows into their structure.






 Next, students closed their forms all the way and had some fun combining their forms and taking photos of the possible combinations.  In this way, new ideas for sculptures and buildings were found. 

 

For another experiment, students learned about Jean Dubuffet and geometric and organic shapes. Students drew organic and geometric shapes and learned how to notch or slice and tab the shapes together. At the end of the day, each sculpture had to stand on its own without collapsing and without glue.
Note: these sculptures are best enjoyed by imagining they are humongous public sculptures made to play on, inside a sculpture park!

 

 Finally, students engaged in a one-day experiment to see what kind of sculpture could be made from a single piece of paper.  They intuitively tucked, curled, wove and perforated the paper to create spontaneous 3-D forms without any glue or tape.

 During this week of exploration, students also completed a homework assignment to brainstorm ideas for representational and non-representational sculptures.

Color Mixing Boot Camp

Students in Honors Painting practiced mixing colors for a real life object in order to gain practice with color mixing. 

  
First, students learned about complementary colors, tints and shades.  Next, each student chose a fruit or vegetable and began mixing a "local hue" that is an exact color match for an area on their object.  They then used that color to make many tints (lighter) and shades (darker) that could be useful for highlights and shadows on their object.  They also mixed any other colors that they saw within their object.  This amounted to an abstract painting of their object in colors. 



 

Finally, the students used those same hues, tints and shades they found to paint their object for 3 days, in order to make their object look realistic and 3-Dimensional.