Clay Planter Heads

Clay Planter Heads Project
To create these expressive planter heads we started by talking about 3-D shapes and discussed how to build a cylinder from a flat piece of clay.  Students rolled out their clay in an even and large flat slabs using rolling pins or a slab roller if you have one then they cut out a large rectangle. You can use a paper template for them to trace and help make a uniform size (they can be large or mini pots).  Next wrap up the rectangles into a cylinder and scratch-to-attach the edges together.  To make the bottom of the planters, students trace their cylinder onto another slab of clay, cut it out and scratch it onto the bottom.  Now for the creative building!  Students were encouraged to be creative and use their extra clay pieces to add on facial parts, hair and accessories. Think about the entire piece (not just the face), turn your sculpture around and make sure that it is interesting to look at from all sides.   Remember that anything added on needs to be scratched on so it doesn't fall off when the clay dries.  You can use this project to discuss human facial proportions or mask making.  Once the pieces are dried, fired, glazed and fired again they can be planted to have grassy hair or a spiky cactus growing out the tops of them.  

B CR8IV!!