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primitive clay - student project

updated fri 31 may 96

 

Ray Tennant on wed 29 may 96

Dear Clay/Art members,
This summer, I will be working with high school students on a
project that involves digging clay out of a pond and creating primitive
forms with it.
I am interested in hearing about experiences any of you may have
had with such teaching experiences. We want to try to use only materials
we mine out of the pond and a nearby stream and perhaps create slips and
possibly burnishing to create various surface textures.
I am curious about any ideas you may have in creating pots,
tiles, jewerly, or anything else out of the clay. We may fire at a local
pottery or there is a slight possibility that we would consider doing
pit firing.
Thanks,
Ray Tennant
Eastern Kentucky University
Dept. of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science
Richmond, KY 40475-3133
tennant@acs.eku.edu

Douglas Gray on thu 30 may 96

Ray

I'm trying a new slant on that class this summer with my beginning
colloge students. Rather than deal with technique generated projects, I
am trying to give idea generated projects. We are dealing with themes
which are common amoung all cultures such as life, death, the human
image, the animal image, food, dwellings, war, spiritualism, mythology
and folklore. I'm leaving it wide open so that they can complete the
projects using haldbuilding techniques or throwing if they wish. I'm
also having them research other non-western culture for ideas. The class
just started yesterday, but so far the response has been good. A little
less structured than most classes, but we will see.

Doug Gray
Alpine, Texas

On Wed, 29 May 1996, Ray Tennant wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Dear Clay/Art members,
> This summer, I will be working with high school students on a
> project that involves digging clay out of a pond and creating primitive
> forms with it.
> I am interested in hearing about experiences any of you may have
> had with such teaching experiences. We want to try to use only materials
> we mine out of the pond and a nearby stream and perhaps create slips and
> possibly burnishing to create various surface textures.
> I am curious about any ideas you may have in creating pots,
> tiles, jewerly, or anything else out of the clay. We may fire at a local
> pottery or there is a slight possibility that we would consider doing
> pit firing.
> Thanks,
> Ray Tennant
> Eastern Kentucky University
> Dept. of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science
> Richmond, KY 40475-3133
> tennant@acs.eku.edu
>

Jay Landis on thu 30 may 96

I teach Primitive Pottery at the local Jr. college. If I can be of help
E-mail me. I try to teach pottery the way the Native Americans made their
pots, just clay, water,fire and Sprit.

Jay in sunny, HOT, Arizona

Gloria Mcdonald on thu 30 may 96

Dear Jay,
I have recently re-located from California to Texas. For the first time
in my life, I have LAND! I am very anxious to try my hand at firing as the
indians did......with no bisque firing first, etc. Since I can do pit
firing, have access to plenty of dung and lots of time, I am anxious to get
started. Can you give me some direction or are there books that you can
recommend so that I am not just doing things blind?
I look forward to any suggestions that you have and thanks for your
help.
Gloria McDonald
Argyle, Texas

Deborah Bedwell on fri 31 may 96

Dear Ray,

We have Samuel Wallace, a traditional Jamaican potter, in residence at
Baltimore Clayworks. Samuel has worked with us since 1993, digs and
processes all of his own clay, and has done many residencies involving
high school students and younger kids, as well as adults.

In one of those residencies, a month-long stint on the Eastern shore of
Maryland, Samuel worked with highschool kids and clay that they dug from
irrigation ponds in rural Somerset county. They made all kinds of work and
fired it in a traditional Jamaican-style woodburning kiln that they
constructed from rubble bricks, stone, and scrap iron.

He's had many experiences of this type, and would not mind talking with
you about your program. You can reach him at Baltimore Clayworks, at (410)
578-1919 late in the afternoon or on Saturdays.

Good luck with your program. It sounds like a good one.
Deborah Bedwell, Baltimore Clayworks