Philip & Ingrid Vanneste-Vuylsteke on sun 3 aug 03
Dear all,
Recently, I bought an electric wheel to throw pots at home. I am not so
experienced, but I succeed in throwing
something that looks like a pot.
But ... of course my two young children (aged 6 and 8) also want to learn to
throw. Exciting !
My question: how do you learn young children how to throw ?
I have now started by centering a small amount of clay for them, and opening
it already so that
thy can start "feeling" the clay and work a bit on it, finishing with at
least some result.
Or should I let the center themselves ? Any experience ?
Is there a "pedagogics" of learning to throw ?
Looking forward to hear your exeperiences.
Philip
=========================================
Philip & Ingrid Vanneste-Vuylsteke
Judith & Simon
Belgium
Roger Korn on sun 3 aug 03
Philip & Ingrid Vanneste-Vuylsteke wrote:
>...
>
>I have now started by centering a small amount of clay for them, and opening
>it already so that
>thy can start "feeling" the clay and work a bit on it, finishing with at
>least some result.
>Or should I let the center themselves ? Any experience ?
>Is there a "pedagogics" of learning to throw ?
>
Is there ever! A hot topic, being explored by many on this forum,
notably our moderator, who demo-ed
at an informal workshop at Linfield a few years ago and completely
changed the way I teach.
Just in the formative stages now, but Michelle Lowe and I have been
kicking around the idea of getting a
bunch of teachers together with a bunch of 'virgins' ("Hey kid, wanna'
learn to make a pot?") and see how many
different teaching and learning styles we come up with.
Mel, you can speak to this with some serious authority!
Roger
>
>Looking forward to hear your exeperiences.
>
>Philip
>
>
>
>=========================================
>Philip & Ingrid Vanneste-Vuylsteke
>Judith & Simon
>Belgium
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
>
>
>
Jeff Longtin on sun 3 aug 03
Philip,
Interesting question?
I haven't taught really young kids to throw but I did start at an early age
so I'll share some thoughts.
Like your kids I saw some potters at an early age, eight or nine, and
thought, "cool!". A few years later my parents bought me a little childs potters
wheel.
The wheel, a little wheel from FAO Schwartz, was about 8-10 ninches wide and
about 4-6 inches high. My father built a bench to sit it, and me, upon.
Sitting on the bench bent my knees 90 degrees. When seated the top of my knees were
level with the wheel head. This enabled me to rest my elbows on my knees and
helped me stabilize my hands.
I didn't have an adult around to actually show me HOW to throw so I basically
just improvised. I learned that the pot would fly off the wheelhead if it
wasn't centered so I learned to center a ball of clay. I knew a ball of clay
needed an interior if it was to be considered a pot so I learned to put my thumb
into the rotating clay and create a hole.
That is about as far as I got, on my own, at the age of eleven or so. It
wasn't much, of course, but it did help me when I finally did encounter an adult
wheel and someone to teach me, i.e. high school. On my own I was not able to
actually pull up a wall but I did get the rudiments of centering and dropping
the thumbs. The "wheel" I was throwing on didn't really have the torque to
support actual pulling so I don't know if I could have done that but it did help
me otherwise.
I think the greatest effect my experience had was that it taught me about
posture, or rather, it helped me learned that posture can effect the way you
throw a pot. It can help you or it can hurt you, i.e. trying to teach a child how
to throw on a Leach treadle wheel, for instance, is very difficult. Trying to
teach a child how to throw on a CHILD sized wheel is much easier.
Which reminds me, Creative Industries has come out with a smaller potters
wheel, presumably to use as a banding wheel and/or MAYBE as a wheel for kids, but
I just checked their website and I'm puzzled?
If we can all agree that having ones knees by ones' side and tight to the
wheelhead can aid in learning to throw I wonder why no one has come out with a
1/4 hp wheel with a 6 or 8 inch wheelhead? Granted there are probably not that
many kids, that age, wanting to learn to throw, but I would think a wheel that
actually enables them to throw a pot might have some market?
(I just had a thought? Since no one else has come out with a minature wheel
for kids maybe its time I make one? hmmm? Maybe about 12-16 inches high, ground
to wheelhead, with maybe a 6-8 inch wheelhead. hmmm? Big enough to contain a
1/4 hp motor but small enough for a child to reasonably straddle. hmmm? Any
funders out there?)
Anyway Philip, wish you well and good luck to the kids.
Jeff Longtin
clang, clang, clang...the bar downstairs is throwing out the previous
evenings liquor bottles and for some reason they have this odd habit of breaking each
bottle as they throw them away...clang...Clang...CLANG!
man-o-man this urban living has gotten really old!
John Rodgers on sun 3 aug 03
Phillip,
Learning to throw on the wheel can certainly be exciting for children.
I've a friend who is resident potter at a state park and I have a time
or two, "stood in" while my potter friend was out for one reason or
another. It was great to see kids reaction when they see a cone of clay
pulled up in the centering process, and then when the clay is opened and
the sides of a pot pulled up and the shape molded by the hands. I always
teased them a bit by telling that they can't really be a potter until
they have clay on their nose! Then I smudge a little on the end of my
nose and they will lean forward to have a little put on their little
noses, and then they are absolutely riveted to everything that goes on.
They are given an opportunity to get their hands in the clay for a few
minutes, and then they wear that little dab of nose clay proudly all
day. They are so cute!!! An experience they will always remember,
whether or not they get to "do clay" ever again.
I'm not much of a teacher for small children, and I know there are
others on this list who are far better qualified than I to help you in
your quest. I am sure they will step to the bar to help you out. These
Clayart folk are a really good bunch, so there is help out there.
A wheel can injure a small child, and although always inadvertent, it
can happen. An awkward move, or position, a sudden grab by the clay --
all can result in a broken finger, hand, wrist, or arm, or at minimum a
badly wrenched limb. So great care must be exercised, but I am sure you
will do that. I guess I just needed to say it.
May I suggest that on the road to teaching the kids to work clay, by all
means include other methods. I look back and wish someone had suggested
that to me, before I got involved with the wheel. I didn't know and
there was no one to tell me about "The rest of the story" on clay.
Have the kids make pinch pots, for example. Small hands can have a
problem wrestling with clay on a revolving wheel, but can handle
pinching up a pot with fair ease. Also get them involved with some slab
building. All you need for tools is a rolling pin and a couple of
flat, 1/4 inch thick strips of wood. about 1-1/2 inches wide. and about
18-24 inches long, and a couple of scraps of a heavy material like a
heavy muslin, or painting canvas. Put a piece of canvas down on your
kitchen table, lay the two wood strips down about 6 inches or so apart,
flatten a bit of clay in between with the hands, cover with the other
piece of canvas, then roll the rolling pin over it several times. When
flattened as far as it will go, gently peel back the canvas, and the
clay is ready. For some things its ready to use immediately. For others
you will want to allow it to dry a bit to stiffen it up for ease of
handling. It can then be cut in to pieces to make boxes, little houses,
mugs, all kinds of things. Kids love it.
Additionally , may I suggest coil built pots as well. Clay is rolled out
in long strands, and then coiled round and round. Once formed the sides
can be smoothed with a tool. This is a great way to go as well.
There are books that show all these processes. Get a few, and study up,
then get your kids involved with all of it. They will love it,
especially if they really catch on to the clay, as all these latter
processes do not require the expense of ownership of a wheel, yet some
wonderful pots, and other art can be created.
Enjoy, and best of success with the Kids.
Regards,
John Rodgers
Birmingham, AL
Philip & Ingrid Vanneste-Vuylsteke wrote:
>Dear all,
>
>Recently, I bought an electric wheel to throw pots at home. I am not so
>experienced, but I succeed in throwing
>something that looks like a pot.
>
>But ... of course my two young children (aged 6 and 8) also want to learn to
>throw. Exciting !
>My question: how do you learn young children how to throw ?
>
>I have now started by centering a small amount of clay for them, and opening
>it already so that
>thy can start "feeling" the clay and work a bit on it, finishing with at
>least some result.
>Or should I let the center themselves ? Any experience ?
>Is there a "pedagogics" of learning to throw ?
>
>Looking forward to hear your exeperiences.
>
>Philip
>
>
>
>=========================================
>Philip & Ingrid Vanneste-Vuylsteke
>Judith & Simon
>Belgium
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
>
>
>
Patty Rehn on sun 3 aug 03
(Just discovered that I sent this not to the list but only to Phillip, so
I thought I would sent to the group, for the sake of comments, clearly I
am not a frequent contributor)
Hi!
I taught children's clay at a resort for a year. We did a combination of
hand building and wheel throwing, according to interest and time.
Each child learned differently. It was a small enough class that I could
discover what each needed to have the best experience. I usually centered
for those who needed more "success" and not for those who were more
resiliant and who wanted to just see how it was. Each kid was different.
Some did not care if the pots did not look "right", and were in fact
astonsished that someone did not worry so much about right and wrong. The
clay was very liberating for some with lots of beating and whacking either
before or after the basic structure was completed. I asked what they
wanted to make and discussed the process choices with the artist. I saw
myself as an assistant to the process of the kid making art as they saw
it. I did my best to give them something that was fun and creative - each
did have the choice of doing a set project, or doing their own idea. Use
clay that is soft and forgiving with very little grog-it's hard on those
little hands. They liked white with colored glazes in the beginning,
except for the kids into dark and smoky. I did a cookie cutter type
christmas ornament project for my son's school of about 250 kids one year,
every classroom made two ornaments. Some did the cookie cutter, some used
the guidelines on thickness and did amazing stuff. Kids are each different
and have different learning styles.
Show them the basics, ask them what they want to do, ask them if they are
comfortable and if they have any ideas about how they might change the
physical situation to be better (like warm water to throw, etc) As the mom
of three, I use the concept that a kid should have a good time and learn
to love art, science and life. They can master all the "proper" techniques
in time- unless they are like my daughter, who must do everything 'right'
from the start (fortunately this is not hard for her).
Childhood is for discovery, IMHO.
suggest they close thier eyes to center. (works great for adults, too)
How wonderful you can learn with them.
Patty
(whose son drove away this morning on his first moving trip to college
this morning.)
> Dear all,
>
> Recently, I bought an electric wheel to throw pots at home. I am not so
experienced, but I succeed in throwing
> something that looks like a pot.
>
> But ... of course my two young children (aged 6 and 8) also want to
learn to
> throw. Exciting !
> My question: how do you learn young children how to throw ?
>
> I have now started by centering a small amount of clay for them, and
opening
> it already so that
> thy can start "feeling" the clay and work a bit on it, finishing with at
least some result.
> Or should I let the center themselves ? Any experience ?
> Is there a "pedagogics" of learning to throw ?
>
> Looking forward to hear your exeperiences.
>
> Philip
>
>
>
> =========================================
> Philip & Ingrid Vanneste-Vuylsteke
> Judith & Simon
> Belgium
claybair on sun 3 aug 03
Philip,
The studio I worked at did limit ages to older than 6
the reason being was that they didn't have enough body mass/weight/strength
to center a piece of clay. However that said my 6 year old niece
and her older brother who was very small for his age at that time
did a great job on the wheel. I think the issue is more the amount of time
you are willing to devote to being right there helping them.
If they cannot handle the wheel they gravitate to hand building
and are content after they find their imaginations can run wild.
My niece who spent several days with us spent every spare moment
in my studio working on her hand built tea set. It was her favorite moment
of
her summer vacation. She wrote about it in school.
It was a wonderful experience for me too.
Gayle Bair
Bainbridge Island, WA
http://claybair.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On Behalf Of Philip &
Ingrid Vanneste-Vuylsteke
Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2003 10:09 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: teaching young children to throw
Dear all,
Recently, I bought an electric wheel to throw pots at home. I am not so
experienced, but I succeed in throwing
something that looks like a pot.
But ... of course my two young children (aged 6 and 8) also want to learn to
throw. Exciting !
My question: how do you learn young children how to throw ?
I have now started by centering a small amount of clay for them, and opening
it already so that
thy can start "feeling" the clay and work a bit on it, finishing with at
least some result.
Or should I let the center themselves ? Any experience ?
Is there a "pedagogics" of learning to throw ?
Looking forward to hear your exeperiences.
Philip
=========================================
Philip & Ingrid Vanneste-Vuylsteke
Judith & Simon
Belgium
____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
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