John Sproule on wed 10 apr 96
Hi Folks,
I would have tried the archives but it's down, and I don't have WWW
software to look in Ceramicsweb.
This is a plea for help from people who LOVE working with kids. The
local community school organizes local artists to give classes with kids
as part of the school week (an alternative to an art teacher). They
asked me to do the handbuilt clay class.
This is 4 weeks, 1 1/2 hours/week, with an art show at the end. The kids
only take the classes they're interested in, so you get only keeners.
So, has anyone out there done this kind of thing in such a short amount
of time. I am assuming it's going to be mixed grades (1-7). If you have
done this I REALLY need an idea of what to do with the kids which will be
more than what Jack Troy once called "itty bitties", knicknacks and
ashtrays. When this came up before, Jack mentioned getting a VW bug and
covering it in clay and making a REAL bug! Very cool. But unfortunately
it's pretty rainy here in May. But the director offered me her husband's
truck ;)
Yours, grovelling forever in gratefulness,
Vickie
email: jsproule@mars.ark.com
Bill Aycock on thu 11 apr 96
re the message from:
>
>Vickie
>email: jsproule@mars.ark.com
>
about kids work and 'what to make'
If you can find a copy of Carlton Ball's old book "Making Pottery Without A
Wheel", it has lots of good ideas. What to make, how to make it, and not
just Knick-knacks.
My copy is on loan or I would send the ISBN
Bill- still on Persimmon Hill, but not still
Michael Henderson on thu 11 apr 96
At 06:39 PM 4/10/96 EDT, Vickie wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi Folks,
>
>I would have tried the archives but it's down, and I don't have WWW
>software to look in Ceramicsweb.
>
>This is a plea for help from people who LOVE working with kids. The
>local community school organizes local artists to give classes with kids
>as part of the school week (an alternative to an art teacher). They
>asked me to do the handbuilt clay class.
>
>This is 4 weeks, 1 1/2 hours/week, with an art show at the end. The kids
>only take the classes they're interested in, so you get only keeners.
>
>So, has anyone out there done this kind of thing in such a short amount
>of time. I am assuming it's going to be mixed grades (1-7). If you have
>done this I REALLY need an idea of what to do with the kids which will be
>more than what Jack Troy once called "itty bitties", knicknacks and
>ashtrays. When this came up before, Jack mentioned getting a VW bug and
>covering it in clay and making a REAL bug! Very cool. But unfortunately
>it's pretty rainy here in May. But the director offered me her husband's
>truck ;)
>
>Yours, grovelling forever in gratefulness,
>
>Vickie
>email: jsproule@mars.ark.com
>
>_______________________________________________________________
I realize that you are going to get a lot of great suggestions but here is
one you might want to try. Whistles: They can be made in a variety of
different shapes and styles and can be very simple or a little complicated
and actually able to play a song. There i a great article in the November
1993 Ceramics Monthly called, surprisingly enough, "Making a Clay Whistle".
It even has directions on how to set the holes to play Plaisir D'Amour, I
remember that from Girl Scout Camp. I'm just thinking it's an easy project
for an hour and a half, could be decorated with underglaze or engobe etc.,
you might add making clay drums, ocharinas (is that how you spell that?)
etc., for more advanced students. I have worked with my son's classes 3rd
and 4th graders and discovered that kids and clay can be pretty messy,
committed but messy, and, as you plan, you might want to take into
consideration where they will be working, where they can dry and store their
projects and space restraints you might have. Sometimes, a project just has
to be "finished" (i.e. greenware done in that 1 1/2 hour) and can't be
carried over week to week. Hope this helps. Emily Henderson in Astoria OR
where it is still raining.
Mark Joyce on thu 11 apr 96
Vickie -- With only four sessions, I'd suggest going with clay whistles.
Begin with introducing the pinching of open bowl forms, then move to closed
forms by joining two "hemispheres." Getting them to be similar in
circumference willrequire the focused development of some control. Once
they've gotten the hang of it, they will readily begin attempting to mass
produce closed forms of different volumes in an attempt to achieve different
tones.
Introduce the pinching and closing of forms the first session. Also
demonstrate burnishing. Allow them to take home some of their work from
the first session and a softball sized ball of clay in a ziplock bag so
that they can do a little practicing at home. (Don't forget the "drain"
warnings!) Ask them to *attempt* to bring back a burnished closed form.
Berensohn, as always, is an outstanding reference for this activity.
In the second session demonstrate opening the forms to make them whistles.
While each person finally has to get it on their own, it is an excellent
process to be developed through high and continuous levels of interactive
conversation and comparison among group members. Allow take-home clay again.
Session three becomes the intentional application and elaboration of the
skills developed in the first two sessions. You may also want to introduce
burnishing terra-sigged pieces at this point but I'd stay away from glazing.
Inscribing designs into burnished surfaces can also be effective option.
Fire later in the week in preparation for your fourth session showing.
Be prepared to have a great time with your group, Vickie! If you've never
made a clay whistle, there was an excellent article with diagrams in
Ceramics monthly not too long ago (last three years?) Also, The Potter's
Shop has some excellent resources including a highly motivational tape of
clay instrument music for background effect.
Let us know how it goes.
Mark Joyce joycem@ccaa.edu Concordia College Ann Arbor, MI
Valice Raffi on thu 11 apr 96
Re: handbuilt clay class.
>
>This is 4 weeks, 1 1/2 hours/week, with an art show at the end. The kids
>only take the classes they're interested in, so you get only keeners.
I recently completed a class like this. It was through a grant from the
Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and the program is called "Arts in
Schools". This brings working artists into the schools (usually where
there is no existing art program) for a 4 wk, 2hr program or 8wk 1hr
program (artist's choice)
Last Fall, I did two 8wk sessions, and I can tell you that 1hr does NOT
work well. So this Spring I did 2hr sessions which are still pretty tight
(time-wise) but do-able.
1st session: slide show followed by an explanation of the course, tools,
methods, etc. I wrote vocabulary words on the blackboard (and also
had a print-out which I handed out). The kids had a list of items
that they might want to bring from home such as; rubber stamps,
rolling pins, cookie cutters, aprons. I showed them some of the
things I use (for suggestions) like springs, twigs etc. that I use
to make impressions in the clay. We talked about them deciding
(over the coming week) on what they were going to make.
2nd session: each kid got a hunk of clay and a small piece of plywood that I'd
pre-wrapped and stapled with muslin. I did a demo on methods;
rolling, coiling, pinching, then the kids went at it. The regular
teacher decided that he wanted the kids to do "their own thing",
(they were 6th graders), some had a little difficulty with that,
but ALL came up with something. We let the works dry during the
following week. Note: it was a very WARM classroom. Luckily,
the school had a kiln, otherwise I'da been truckin' the stuff back
and forth from my studio to fire! I went in the day before my next
session and loaded the kiln, started it, and left the teacher with
instuctions on closing the lid, flipping switches etc.
3rd session: unloading! Demo and instuctions (like DON'T put brushes in your
mouth) followed by a glazing session. I poured small amounts of
glaze at a time into restaurant-type portion control cups.
Then, re-loading the kiln & firing.
4th session: Videotaping each kid with their work. Each said a little something
about the piece or the process.
The Spring session did not have an art show, but the Fall ones did. For
those, I got together with the other artists in the program and we did the
show together. In Sacramento, we have an area which has been on the
decline. For the past year and a half, this area has been used for "Second
Saturday - Second Shift" (Phantom Galleries). We "take over" the buildings
that are vacant and transform them for a month into a gallery. Each month,
a different show, until the building rents. This process has helped
re-vitalize the area (and artists). The student's show at Phantom was a
great success. The Arts Commission helped out with the flyers and
refreshments.
Hope this helps!
Valice
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