mel jacobson on tue 26 aug 08
i just want you all to know that elizabeth and mel are
fine friends.
honest debate and opinions are always a good thing
on clayart. strong ideas and opinions are even better.
this is a worthy discussion.
kids are vital to craft.
it has been most of my life. i know what they can do,
and it is thrilling.
i know how they can be abused with stupid art and craft.
i think a kid at 8 and a brent wheel is very stupid.
elizabeth and her york wheel is fine.
and, when you connect elizabeth, a kid and
a small kick wheel...magic.
i have very strong opinions on teaching throwing.
and using, as most do, a power wheel...well i don't
like it. very dangerous, far too powerful, and in most
cases, far too fast. put a little kid into that is not
a good thing.
so, i know what elizabeth is talking about...support her
one hundred percent. but, i still like clay, little hands,
make things...simple, pinch, slabs, animals and then a pit fire.
man, do they understand fast.
mel
from minnetonka:
website http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart site:
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
Elizabeth Priddy on tue 26 aug 08
I never let them use the electric wheels by themselves.
=A0
And when I set up my own program through the NC Travelling Artist in Reside=
nce Program, I bought all Yorks for the children's classes.=A0 They are per=
fect and the kid is only working with as much speed as they can generate th=
emselves.=A0 And it is speed that dissipates with force applied, so if some=
thing gets caught up, it stops the wheel.=A0 Electrics drag their tiny arms=
or hair into the wheelhead.=A0=20
=A0
I had a rule in class that if I ever yelled stop, that everyone was to stop=
whatever they were doing immediately.=A0 It was a safety issue, as I am ba=
d with names and would never be able to immediately pull the kid about to g=
et hurt's name out of the air in time to prevent injury.
=A0
Always close toed shoes.
=A0
No pin tools with kids under 20.
=A0
I ran a program for kids for 10 years.=A0 5 Yorks.=A0 I electric.
We never used the electric, we just sat stuff on it.=A0 I demo'd on the one=
I expected them to use.=A0 they learned a lot about science in my class.=
=A0 And rythm, kick kick touch touch touch kick kick touch.
=A0
I really connect with kids.=A0 And I respect what they are capable of more =
than I do most adults.=A0 ususally by adulthood, the creative spark and men=
tal energy has been beaten out of you.=A0 Sometimes clay reawakens adults, =
but for kids, they are already there.
Elizabeth Priddy
Beaufort, NC - USA
Workshops and pottery online at:
http://www.elizabethpriddy.com
Natural Instincts Conference Information:
http://downtothepottershouse.com/NaturalInstincts.html
Kiln pictures and such:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7973282@N03/
--- On Tue, 8/26/08, mel jacobson wrote:
From: mel jacobson
Subject: elizabeth and kids
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 3:49 PM
i just want you all to know that elizabeth and mel are
fine friends.
honest debate and opinions are always a good thing
on clayart. strong ideas and opinions are even better.
this is a worthy discussion.
kids are vital to craft.
it has been most of my life. i know what they can do,
and it is thrilling.
i know how they can be abused with stupid art and craft.
i think a kid at 8 and a brent wheel is very stupid.
elizabeth and her york wheel is fine.
and, when you connect elizabeth, a kid and
a small kick wheel...magic.
i have very strong opinions on teaching throwing.
and using, as most do, a power wheel...well i don't
like it. very dangerous, far too powerful, and in most
cases, far too fast. put a little kid into that is not
a good thing.
so, i know what elizabeth is talking about...support her
one hundred percent. but, i still like clay, little hands,
make things...simple, pinch, slabs, animals and then a pit fire.
man, do they understand fast.
mel
from minnetonka:
website http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart site:
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
=0A=0A=0A
Weiland, Jeff on wed 27 aug 08
One of the things that I have observed over the years from young kids
working with clay is that they are far more interested in
surface/texture/pattern/etc than the technical form we adults get so
snagged on. With that said, I agree that coordination and muscle control
are issues with wheel throwing but what I disagree with is the
categorical dismissal of the process. With realistic expectations and
appropriate instruction, they have a great time seeing what their hands
can produce. They light up with ownership of whatever form evolves. I
don't see the type of wheel as an issue. If it has a speed control
(Brent), set it down. The Amaco two-speed is great for the lower speeds.
My Klopfenstein treadles though will break an ankle - off limits!!! Many
of the kids think that the kick wheels are just a large sit-and-spin.
That reminds me of a couple of buds in grad school at Eastern Illinois.
They would get on top of the wheel head, grab the side of the head, and
see how long they could hang on while some sadistic friend slowly
pressed down on the pedal. Looked like some of the stupid stuff you see
on Youtube these days.=20
Jeff Weiland
Greenfield-Central High School
810 North Broadway
Greenfield, Indiana 46140
317-462-9211
jweiland@gcsc.k12.in.us
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of mel
jacobson
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 3:50 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: elizabeth and kids
i just want you all to know that elizabeth and mel are
fine friends.
honest debate and opinions are always a good thing
on clayart. strong ideas and opinions are even better.
this is a worthy discussion.
kids are vital to craft.
it has been most of my life. i know what they can do,
and it is thrilling.
i know how they can be abused with stupid art and craft.
i think a kid at 8 and a brent wheel is very stupid.
elizabeth and her york wheel is fine.
and, when you connect elizabeth, a kid and
a small kick wheel...magic.
i have very strong opinions on teaching throwing.
and using, as most do, a power wheel...well i don't
like it. very dangerous, far too powerful, and in most
cases, far too fast. put a little kid into that is not
a good thing.
so, i know what elizabeth is talking about...support her
one hundred percent. but, i still like clay, little hands,
make things...simple, pinch, slabs, animals and then a pit fire.
man, do they understand fast.
mel
from minnetonka:
website http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart site:
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
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