being cr8iv

Turtle Tower

2012-02-08T09:51:00.000-08:00

I like to make these turtle towers a classroom challenge project, challenging students to see who can make the most or the smallest turtles. I also challenge students to create a different texture/pattern on each of the turtle shells, giving examples of different designs can be helpful for sparking ideas here. This project can of course be completed by making just one turtle per student.

Start by rolling out a long snake or coil of clay, about 15-18 inches long and about as thick as a pencil. Scratch the entire length of the coil and then wrap it up into a spiral shape blending in the end piece. You can smooth out the spiral design or leave it there, this piece will be the turtle shell. Next roll out another snake of clay the same thickness but only about 6-8 inches long. Cut this snake of clay up into 6 pieces; 4 for the legs, 1 for the head and 1 for the tail. You can shape them with your hands as needed. Scratch the ends of each of your pieces and the belly of the turtle shell and attach them on. HINT: Make sure to overlap the pieces when you attach them on to have a larger surface area of attaching, so don't attach them edge to edge, they'll be more likely to break off when you move them in and out of the kiln. You can now add on a face to your turtle and start to decorate the back of the shell with a pattern using tools. The smaller turtles will be built in exactly the same way, just using shorter lengths of coils to build them. HINT: I have my students stack up their turtles without scratching-to attaching them on. This way, when they glaze them it's easier to make each turtle a different color. When they are finished glazing they re-stack them and in the kiln the glaze melts and fuses them into a tower. You can also play with color theory on the glazing and have them make primary and secondary colored turtles or paint them in rainbow order. You'll need to dry, bisque fire, glaze and glaze fire all the pieces for them to be finished.

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Art Hearts

2012-02-03T08:34:00.000-08:00

These simple and fun clay art hearts make the perfect gift for Valentine's Day. Start with a sphere of clay about the size of a ping pong ball. Pinch the bottom of it into a point and push the middle of the top down with your fingers. Then use your fingertips to smooth out the shape of the heart. To make each heart unique, I add on wings, banners, polka dots etc... You can also use rubber stamps to add words, and tools for texture and design on your hearts. When you are finished making your hearts, use a tool to poke a hole in the bottom of the heart. HINT: Remember that clay shrinks when it's fired, so make the hole a little larger than you think that you need. Once you have bisque fired, glazed and then fired your hearts, use a two part epoxy to glue in your wooden dowel. These hearts look great in a bouquet so you can share your love CR8IVLY!!

Jenni Ward's Art Hearts are available for purchase and support Project HOPE Art. Check them out at our Etsy Shop!

Heart Boxes

2012-02-01T22:13:00.000-08:00

A fun Valentine's gift and easy to make! Start by rolling out a slab of clay that is about 3/8ths of an inch thick and cut out two identical hearts, one will be the lid and one will be the bottom. HINT: I let my younger students use cookie cutters. Next cut a strip of clay that will become the wall of the box, I used a ruler and cut down both sides to create a strip of clay that is even and about 1.5 inches thick. Then scratch to attach the edge of one of the hearts and one edge of the strip of clay and attach them together. Use a tool or your finger along the inside of the box to smooth out the connection. Now decorate your heart box using tools, stamps and textures. If you add any parts on, be sure to scratch to attach them on well. These are great to fill with candy and give to the one you love on Valentine's Day!

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Mosaic Mandalas

2012-01-06T07:33:00.000-08:00

My students loved making these mosaic mandalas, especially the messy grouting part! I showed my students lots of examples of mandalas and we discussed using symmetry in art before starting in clay. The rules of the project are simple; any shape is allowed but the overall design must be symmetrical and the shapes can only have a little bubble room around them (not huge gaps), other than that--b cr8iv!

Start by giving each student a plastic plate (paper ones will get too wet and loose their shape). Next roll out a large slab of clay that is about 3/8th of an inch thick and lay it over the plate and press it into the plates shape gently. Use a knife to cut off any extra clay around the edges and save the scraps of flat clay.

Next scratch up the entire surface of the clay with a fork or scoring tool. Now start cutting out your shapes from the extra scraps of clay. Scratch the backs of your shapes with a tool and begin attaching them onto the surface in a symmetrical design. I encouraged students to work from the middle out to the edges. HINT: If you have younger students you can use cookie cutters for this part to ensure symmetry! Be sure to keep the thickness of your clay even as you attach them onto the base piece. Once all the spaces have been filled with shapes, let the mandala dry on the plate, they will pop apart from the plastic plates as they dry and shrink. HINT: If you want to be able to hang these on the wall when they're finished, cut a small length of high temperature wire and bend it into a loop, then stick it halfway into the clay before it is dry to use as a hanger once the clay is fired.

Bisque fire the mandalas and then have students glaze only the surface of each of the shapes and the outside edge of the plate NOT the spaces in-between, the grout will not stick to a glazed surface. You can make this a color wheel or color theory lesson with the glazing if you'd like too. Be sure to keep the colors symmetrical too.

Once the glaze firing is finished, mix up some grout in any color you'd like according to the package's instructions. Be careful about not adding too much water to your grout, a little goes a long way! Spread out some newspaper and give out plastic gloves to students--this will be messy! I give students a handful of the grout and let them start pushing it into all of the spaces, I usually have to help everyone out a little bit to make sure they've packed it in tight and filled all the spaces. Then have them rub the grout off of the tops of all of their shapes using just their hands to start with or a wooden clay tool can be helpful, then use a dry paper towel to start to wipe the surfaces clean. Once the grout has dried a bit, you can go over the surface with a damp sponge to get any residual grout off. Let the grout dry for 24 hours before hanging it up on the wall.

!!! B CR8IV!!!

Self Portrait Busts

2012-01-04T15:43:00.000-08:00

These cute self-portrait busts are a great way for students to learn about basic human face proportions. Take time to show them the proportions on a paper drawing or paired up with a partner that they can stare at. I usually divide this project up into two sessions. Students will start with building the base shapes and then add on the details of their faces. You can also offer mirrors to your students for help with the details in Part II.

PART I

Start by giving students a piece of clay the size of a grapefruit plus a little bit of extra clay. Cut that piece in half and then cut one of those pieces in half, they should have 3 pieces (two small ones of equal size and 1 larger one). Make spheres out of each of the pieces and form them into pinch pots. The larger pinch pot will be for the shoulders, squeeze it so its a little bit oval shaped and then place it upside down on the table. HINT: Its helpful to stuff a little bit of newspaper into the shoulders to help it keep its shape. Scratch-to-attach the two smaller ones together to create a hollow sphere, this will be the head shape- it may look more like a potato, so have students take their time to shape it and make it more egg shaped. Use a little bit of extra clay to roll out a snake of clay that is about as thick as your finger and wrap it into a cylinder shape, this will be used for the neck.

To attach all three of the parts together, (shoulders, neck and head) position them where you think that they will look best to make your bust, then scratch-to-attach all of the connection spots well. I like to attach the neck onto the shoulder and blend the coil of clay into the shoulders, then place the head onto the shoulders and blend those two together well. Next use a tool to poke through from under the shoulders, through the neck and into the hollow space in the head, so that they don't explode in the kiln. You can also write students names on the inside of the shoulders while you have them flipped over. If you've used newspaper here, just pull it out to make the hole and then replace it. This is usually where I will stop the first session, so if you need to stop here too, wrap up all of your students work in plastic until your next session.

PART II

Now have students use a pointy tool or a pencil to lightly draw onto the clay the center line of the face, the eye line, the nose line and the mouth line. This should help students give placement for all of the features. Using a small amount of extra clay, shape each of the features in clay using tools and their hands. Make sure that each part is scratched-to-attached on well. HINT: A great way to make eyes that are the same size is to make one the size you like and then trace it onto another piece of clay. HINT: A great way to make ears the same size is to make a flat pancake of clay and cut it in half, each half is an ear. Hair can be added onto the head in flat pieces, coils or texturing the clay, depending on the style and type of hair they are trying to create. Once all the features are attached, erase the lines with a finger or smoothing tool. Have students think about clothing or other items they might want to add on to the shoulders (like a parrot or a pocket!). Encourage students to turn their sculptures around and look at them from all sides before letting them dry.

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Bunny Slippers

2011-12-30T10:06:00.000-08:00

What is better than cozy pink bunny slippers? Well, maybe not cozy since they're built with clay, but still very cute! Students started these by rolling out a slab of clay that was 3/8ths of an inch thick and traced their shoe onto the clay. Next they used a half oval shaped slab of clay to create the rounded arch of the toe. Each foot is a different size, so they'll have to estimate the size and then cut it to adjust for each foot. Scratch-to-attach around the edges and use a little newspaper stuffed inside the arch to help support it while they add on other elements. Two long triangles for ears and a small triangle for the nose are cut out of a slab of clay and attached on. They can add a tail if they'd like and the eyes, mouth and whiskers can be drawn on with tools or added on with pieces of clay. This student used high temperature wire pushed into the clay for whiskers. They can also use tools to create a fuzzy texture on the surface of the clay. Students signed their names on the slipper where the designers name would normally be. Other animals would also make very cute slippers too!

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Pool People

2011-12-28T21:37:00.000-08:00

Dreaming of Summer....this amazing piece was made by one of my students and it won Honorable Mention in the National K-12 Ceramic Exhibition! Yahoo!
These pool people are created by starting with a basic pinch pot for the pool, students are encouraged to play with the shape and texture of the pool, especially the exterior. Next have students roll a log of clay the height that they want their person to be and about 2" thick. With a knife slice into the bottom of the log to create 2 legs and then cut 2 diagonal cuts for the arms. Squeeze the neck and round out the head with your fingers. This should give you the basic body parts, next you can add details like a bathing suit, hair (we used a garlic press), fingers, toes and don't forget pool toys too! Lastly, have students position their people into the pool, but don't attach them to the pool. This girl is just relaxing on the side, but remember they can be doing a handstand or floating on their backs etc... Once you are finished building, let the pieces dry and then bisque fire them. Glaze all of the parts and position your person and their pool toys into the pinch pot. Before loading the pieces in the kiln add in some pieces of glass (colored, clear or marbles). You don't need a lot of glass to give the effect of water once it melts in the kiln. The people and items will be attached to the pool after the firing on a permanent summer vacation!

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Photo Collage

2011-12-23T08:09:00.000-08:00

OK, so I know this isn't a clay project, so what is it doing on my blog you ask?? Well, it is a mixed media project and it could become a 3-D sculpture if you kept adding the boards together or created a cube out of multiple boards. But the real reason I'm sharing this project is, I'll be creating these photo collages with my little artists in Haiti with Project HOPE Art in less than 2 weeks and I just wanted to share one of the projects we'll be doing there with the girls of OJFA (Young Girls In Action-in French). If you'd like to donate to this amazing project click here: DONATE NOW! Thank you and Happy Holidays!!

So here's how you do it! Start by selecting and printing out a black and white photo of your choice onto plain white paper. Use scissors or preferably an x-acto knife (if your students are old enough) to cut out the portions you are interested in using. Think about the placement of the photo and glue it down onto a board (I used some scrap pieces of matte board I got for free at a framing shop). Use a regular pencil to lightly sketch out what else you'd like to include in your piece and then use colored pencils to color the photo and enhance the area around the photo. Use your creativity to place the photo in a unique landscape or setting.

!!B CR8IV!!

Totem Poles

2011-12-21T08:42:00.000-08:00

Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest have been carving totem poles for generations, this clay project exposes students to the traditional techniques and symbolism used by the carvers. Start by showing students examples of totem poles and the symbolism of the animals used in the poles. Generally the animals in the poles tell a pictorial story, this can be a way to incorporate a writing project with an art project in your classroom. Once students have chosen their story or their choice of symbols and animals, its time to build.

Start by giving students 6-8 ping pong sized spheres of clay (one for each animal). Have students break off a little bit of the clay and start by shaping the body of the animal, typically it will be round or oval shaped, then use the extra clay to make the body parts such as legs, arms, wings, tails, facial features etc... don't forget to scratch to attach on all the parts well. Use tools to create details like scales on a fish or claws on a bear. Once each animal is built, you will need to cut a hole from the top to the bottom of each animal, I used a thin wooden dowel. The top animal of the totem pole only needs the hole to go in about halfway so that you don't see the dowel poking out the top of the totem. Be sure to make the hole slightly larger than you think you'll need because clay shrinks when it dries and is fired. Next, fire all the pieces, glaze them and fire them again.

Once all of the pieces are finished, its time to assemble them. I use cut blocks of 2x4's for the bases, it's good to pre-cut these then have students write their name on the bottom and sand them smooth with sand paper. I also pre-drill a hole into the center of the base the same size as the dowel that you'll be using to stack your totem. Squeeze a little wood glue into the drilled hole and slide in the dowel. While the glue is drying, have students wipe the sawdust off the bases and then paint them. I used a black acrylic paint, but you can use any color you'd like or have students use markers to color them in so you don't have to wait for the paint to dry. Once your base is ready, start sliding the animals onto the dowel, hopefully you've made the holes large enough and they all fit easily. If you have trouble with fit, you can either use a smaller dowel or use a Dremel tool with a grinder bit and grind the hole in the animal larger (this can take some time!). When you add the last animal on the top of the totem pole, put a little glue into the hole and fit it on snugly. If the dowel is too long, just cut it to the correct height with garden shears, then glue on the top piece. Have students share their totem story with the class!

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Ice Cream Cones

2011-12-16T08:27:00.000-08:00

Claes Oldenburg "Floor Burger"

The Pop Art style food sculptures of Claes Oldenburg inspired these fun ice cream cone wall sculptures. This is also a great project to discuss 3-D shapes with students. Have students roll out a slab of clay that is about 3/8th of an inch thick. I give students a paper template that will make a cone shape when wrapped up, this will also determine how large you want your ice cream cones to be (this one is about 15" tall). Have students trace the template and cut it out, then wrap up the clay into a cone shape. Scratch-to-attach the edges together well and let the cone rest wide part down while they add any cone texture they'd like with tools.

Next, using another piece of clay, students will make a sphere about the size of an orange, then make that sphere into a pinch pot by pushing their thumbs into the middle and squeezing around the sides. This will make the ice cream scoop on top. Its OK if the pinch pot has lumps or dents on it, it will make it look like a realistic scoop of ice cream. Advanced students can make a double or triple scoop of ice cream, but be sure to put a hole between each of the scoops so that you are not trapping air (this will make the sculpture explode in the kiln!)

Scratch-to-attach the edges of the cone and the edges of the pinch pot so that they can attach them together. HINT: This part can be a little tricky especially if you are working fairly large. Use some crumbled up newspaper stuffed inside the cone and pinch pot to help keep the shape while you blend the two together-it will burn out when you fire it in the kiln. Have students take their time blending both parts together and make sure they are well attached. The sculpture can be laying flat on the table now. Have students choose the type of ice cream flavor they want and any extras like a cherry on top or sprinkles and scratch-to-attach them onto the ice cream. When they are finished building, roll the sculptures over gently so that you can put a hole into the back of them, this will give you something to hang it by when you are finished and it will also prevent it from exploding in the kiln. Fire the pieces and then glaze them will the appropriate colors for the flavor of ice cream!

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Cave Art

2011-12-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

These primitive cave art slabs are a great way to teach students about the earliest forms of art. Start by showing students images of early cave paintings and have them find common themes, such as bison, humans and horses. It is a good idea to have students practice their cave paintings on paper before starting on their clay version.

You'll need to prep some materials before you begin. This cave painting sculpture was made with a slab of clay for the base and was decorated using colored oxides made from raw pigments which is very similar to how cave paintings were originally made. The colored oxides will need to be made in advance but are simple to do. You'll have to make a trip to your local ceramic supply store to pick up small amounts of oxides and a flux to make them stick to the clay in the kiln, here I used red iron oxide, burnt umber, manganese dioxide and Gerstley Borate (GB) as my flux. You can get oxides in almost any color that are commercially made they are called Mason Stains, but for this project, I chose to keep the color scheme more natural. In individual containers mix 2 parts oxide to 1 part GB and mix well with water until you have a little thicker than watercolor paint consistency to your oxides. If you keep your oxides in containers with sealed lids, the pigment will settle to the bottom, but once stirred they can be used over and over on other clay projects and if they dry out, you can always add water to reconstitute them. Now you are ready to go!

Students will need to roll out their clay flat, I like to keep this in an abstract shape so that it represents a rock form. I also have students make 2 holes at the top of their clay to be able to hang it up later. Next students can use brushes to paint on their cave painting with the oxides that you made. If they make a mistake with their painting, just use a clay scraping tool to wipe off the area and try again. Encourage students to look at their practice drawings for shapes and ideas. The final results should be primitive and rough looking. I just bisque fire these pieces and don't use any glazes on them, but if you'd like to add some shine and clear glaze over the top of everything would work too.

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Gustav Klimt's Tree of Life

2011-12-09T09:47:00.000-08:00

Begin by showing Gustav Klimt's Tree of Life mural and some of other his other paintings to students and discuss his repeated use of gold and patterns in his work. Have students find patterns in his work and practice drawing them with markers on paper.

To build the tree, give each student at least 10 pipe cleaners that are about 12" long (color doesn't matter here). Have students stack the wires in a bundle and twist them together in the middle of the bundle to create the trunk of the tree. Leave some wires splayed out at the bottom for roots and about 5" of wire left for the branches -little hands may need help with this.

For the roots, divide the 10 wires into small groups of 2 -3 wires, twist those and then divide them up into groups of 1-2 wires and twist the groups of 2 until you have just little wire ends left. The idea is to have the roots look like they are going from thick to thinner and thinner pieces. The branches will be created the same way, separate the wires into small groups and twist, separate them in to groups again and twist. When you get to the end of the tree branches, use a pencil to wrap the end of the wire around to create the spiral that is used frequently in Klimt's paintings. One all of the branches have been formed, take the time to arrange them so that the spirals are visible and the tree should start to balance standing.

Next, give each student a small block of wood for the base of the sculpture, have them sand it down and use hot glue to attach their trees to the wood. Have students put their names on the bottom of the wood. Using gold spray paint, paint the trees and wood completely, and let dry. Last, have students use Sharpie Markers to draw on their Klimt style patterns onto the block of wood.

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Word Magnets

2011-12-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

Clay word magnets can be inspirational and educational!
Have students roll out a slab of clay that is about 3/8" thick. Then use rubber alphabet and number stamps to create words on the slab of clay. Use a clay knife to cut around the edge of the word or cut into a shape similar to the word (ie: C-L-O-U-D cut into a cloud shape). Dry slowly and with a board weighted down on top of the pieces-they tend to curl on the edges and warp if they dry to fast. When they are dry, bisque fire the pieces. When glazing the letters, use a brush to fill the letters with color, then use a damp sponge to wipe away any excess glaze around the edges of the letter. This will increase the contrast between the letters and the background so they are easy to read. Glaze fire the pieces and when they are finished glue high strength magnets onto the back of the clay, some may need more that one magnet depending on the size.

!!! B CR8IV!!!

3-D Letters

2011-12-02T12:08:00.000-08:00

These 3-D letters can be made using a computer printed font that you trace or by drawing your own design. Start by rolling out a large slab of clay about 3/8th of an inch thick. Then draw out the shape of your letter or lay down your paper template and trace it out. Once you are happy with the letter, cut it out and repeat, so that you have 2 exact letters (one for the top and one for the bottom). You can add texture to your slabs at this point by pressing into them with stamps, texture plates or tools, be careful not to warp the shape of your letters as you press into them. Using your scrap pieces of clay cut out strips of clay that are all equal width, these will be used for the side walls of your letter. I like to use a ruler and cut down both sides of the ruler to quickly cut out strips that are all equal . The width of the strips will determine how deep your 3-D letter will be. Once you have a few of the strips cut out, start scratching the edges of all of your pieces. Then pick one letter that will be the bottom and attach the strips of clay to the scratched edges of the letter to build a wall that will go all the way around the letter. Take your time to line up the curves and corners of your letter's shape. Also use a finger to blend the corner and make sure that the walls are attached securely. Once you have gone around the entire shape scratch-to-attach the second letter on top of the walls. If your clay is really wet, the top letter may sag into the bottom one, to solve this, just let your clay dry a little bit more to give it more strength and then the top piece will sit evenly across. Take time to attach the seam on well, blending the clay with your fingers. Once the letters are a dry enough to hold their shape you can clean up the seams with a damp sponge and adjust how they will sit or stand up. Make sure to punch a small hole into the hollow space to keep your letter from exploding in the kiln. You could make the hole on the back of the letter so that you can hang it on the wall or you can hide it on the bottom if your letter will be free standing. This is a fun way to spell out a child's name on their bedroom wall or a teacher's name in their classroom.

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Birds in A Nest

2011-11-30T18:41:00.000-08:00

This project is all about TEXTURE! I start by talking to students about how each of the items would feel in real life and how completely different the textures are- feathers, eggs & a nest. Then we use tools to see how we can get our one material, to have 3 different textures based on how we treat the surface of the clay.
The nest is made first creating an over-sized pinch pot, just like we made for the Ice Cream Bowl Project and I used a fork to create the rough texture. The bird is made using two small pinch pots and scratch-to-attaching them together, blending the seam and then adding all of the parts. I used a wooden knife to cut feathers into the surface and then smoothed the cut marks with my fingers. Students can make as many eggs as they like for their nest. Small eggs can be made by rolling spheres of clay and then pinching the tops to be slightly pointy, they can be smoothed with fingers. I encourage students to experiment with tools to play with their textures and that it is more important to have 3 unique textures rather than the realistic texture of the object.

Bird houses

2011-11-16T07:55:00.000-08:00

Birdhouses to hang outside are a fun all year round project, you can tie this into a science lesson too by monitoring the types of birds that visit your houses and chart their migration habits. To build these houses, I gave students a paper template for the walls. The side walls are about 4" x 4" square, the front and back walls are 4" x 4" square plus the additional triangle to create the peak of the roof which is about 2" taller. Have your students cut out 2 of each template shape and scratch-to-attach the walls together just like you would for a box. Next trace the shape of the bottom of your house onto another piece of flat clay, cut it out and scratch-to-attach it on. Then drape a flat piece of clay over the peaks of your roof, decide how big you want it and how much of it you'd like to have hanging over the edges, then using a knife or pointy tool, cut off the excess. Once the roof is the correct size, scratch-to-attach it on to the walls. Cut a hole for the birds to get it and now you have your basic house shape.

I gave my students a challenge to add on at least 10 different items to different areas of their bird houses and to create at least 5 different textures on the surfaces. Remind students to scratch-to-attach all of their parts on well. The image of the birdhouse on top was named the lovebird house and was themed with hearts and flowers while the bottom image is the monster bird house with the opening to the house being the mouth of the monster and the perch is the arms. These houses are two very different approaches to the project, but both follow the rules. I also used high temperature wire in this project, for decoration, for the perch and as a loop in the top of the house to eventually hang your birdhouse by.

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Chihuly Seaforms

2011-11-11T09:12:00.000-08:00

Artist Dale Chihuly makes amazing and beautiful abstract forms out of glass. This project mimics his series of Seaforms. I use expandable wire mesh from Dick Blick Art Supplies and have students cut a circle from the mesh or pre-cut your circles for younger students. Then you can stretch, bend and shape the mesh into your seaform.

Next students tear up small bits of tissue paper in the colors of their choice, then dip them lightly in watered down white glue and started wrapping it around the wire forms. If the paper gets too soaked, it will start to fall apart and can be really frustrating to work with, but if its just wet enough to make it stick, it should go on smoothly. Make sure that students cover every area of the wire mesh and that the tissue paper is flattened smooth against the form; a brush can be helpful with that. It can get a bit tricky and sticky, so I always have a damp rag for each student to wipe off their fingers. I also find that its best to cover one side of the form and let it dry and then come back for the second side. As the glue dries, the shape will stiffen. When the entire form is covered I have students paint a thick coat of Modpodge over the surface to seal the paper and to give a bit of gloss to the surface. When finished the seaforms with be semi-translucent if displayed in the window. These pieces could also be displayed for an art show hung from the ceiling like Chihuly ceiling at the Bellagio Hotel.

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Octopus Gardens

2011-11-09T08:18:00.000-08:00

These mini coral reefs are easy to build and filled with interesting texture. Start by building the reef base out of a pinch pot. So make a sphere of clay, push your thumb into it and squeeze around the sides to make a bowl shape. Then flip it over, you can dent it in or push it out in areas or even push a hole through the side so you have a cave in your reef. Next break off small pieces of clay and roll out 8 cone shapes for your octopus' legs. Scratch the wide end of each of the legs and scratch the top of your reef and attach each of the legs on, its a good idea to put on hand underneath the reef as you push the legs on so that you don't collapse the reef in. Take your time blending the legs together and shaping them. Next roll a small sphere for the head of your octopus, scratch-to-attach it on top of where you attached the legs and blend it in with your finger or a tool. You can add eyes or a face onto your octopus if you'd like too.

Next we'll start building the coral and reef creatures to add on. I encourage students to add on at least five different elements and to cover the entire surface with texture. I also give students lots of images of coral reefs to inspire ideas. Besides interestingly shaped and textured corals and seaweeds, students like to add on crabs or eels, sometimes a baby octopus or little fish. Make sure that all the elements you build are scratched-to-attached on to the reef well. You can also move the octopus' arms to wrap around the items that you add on. Encourage students to continue to turn their sculptures around and view them from all sides, making sure that they have interesting elements from every point of view. Once glazed, these sculptures are safe to put into a fish tank as handmade decoration if you'd like!

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Textured Box

2011-11-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

These sweet and simple boxes are a great way to introduce texture to young artists. I love using the textured rubbing plates from Dick Blick Art Supplies for this project.

Start by rolling out a flat piece of clay that is about 3/8ths of an inch thick (or about as thick as a pancake), then make sure that the surface is smooth. Next choose your textured rubbing plate and lay it on top starting at one end of your clay. Using a rolling pin, roll over the texture plate pushing down evenly as you go. You can peel up one corner to check if you have pushed hard enough, if not roll some more, if it looks good peel up the rubbing plate. If your clay is larger than your rubbing plate, you'll need to lay the rubbing plate down again in the blank clay area and roll in the texture again until the entire piece of clay is covered with your texture.

Next have your students cut out one square of clay (you can give paper templates for this if you think they need them). Once they have one square cut out, have them lay it down on top of their clay in a new area and trace the first square so that the second one is exactly the same size. Continue doing this until each student has 6 squares. If you run out of room on your clay to continue cutting out squares, squish all the small scrap pieces together, roll it out flat again and put the texture in again. Now its time to assemble the box.

Pick one square that will be the lid and put it to the side. Pick the square that will be the bottom and use a scratching tool to scratch all the edges, then scratch 3 sides of the remaining 4 squares. Now that everything is scratched, pick the first wall and attach it to the bottom of the box- it may be a little wobbly at first. Next, attach the second wall to the bottom square and then squeeze the corners together being careful to not smooth out your textures. Continue until all the walls are up. Using your extra clay, create a knob for the lid and scratch-to-attach it on top. You can also cut out a smaller square and attach it to the bottom of your lid so that it won't slid off the box. These boxes make great gifts and are ready to hold special treasures!

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Bookmark Feet

2011-11-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

I found an example of these bookmarks with the Wicked Witch's feet poking out of a book and thought my students would enjoy making their version of someone being squished in a book. They loved the idea of creating monster feet or animal feet.

Start with a cylinder of clay and bend the cylinder into an L shape for the feet. Using small clay tools, design details like toes, shoes, pant legs etc. Remember that if you are adding any parts on, you need to scratch-to-attach them on. When you are done forming your legs, use a knife to cut a slot perpendicular to the feet about half an inch deep into the legs. As your clay dries be careful to keep the space in that slot open, if it gets flattened, you won't be able to attach your cardboard bookmark. Let your clay dry and bisque fire it, then glaze your pieces as desired and fire again.

When the clay parts are finished, cut a piece of cardboard that is about 1 1/2" wide by about 5" long. Put a small amount of glue into the slot and slide in the cardboard. Let dry while you start reading your favorite book!

!!B CR8IV!!

Wire Trees

2011-10-28T22:08:00.000-07:00

These copper wire trees are simple and beautiful. Start with at least 15 strands of wire (or more!) all the same length (at least 6" long), this will be the height of your tree. Bundle all the wires together and twist tightly in the middle to create the trunk. Little hands may need help with this part, you can also use pliers to help twist. Next we'll build the roots, so decide which end is the bottom of your tree and divide up the 15 strands into groups of 3 or 4 wires. Twist each of those groups a little bit and then divide them into groups of 1 or 2 strands. The single strands can be left alone and the double strands can be twisted a little more. Then separate them into single strands so that it appears your roots are thicker towards the trunk and thinner towards the tips. The same process is repeated for the branches. Bend the branches and roots to simulate natural tree shapes and to balance the tree on its roots. You could also find a small stone to wrap the roots around and anchor the base of it.
Next I used small seed beads on the tips of the branches and bent the end of the single wire strands to hold the beads in place. The beads could be a lesson in color theory using on warm or cool color beads. Or you could have students pick out colored beads for the birth stone of each family member and make these family trees. Or use pink and white beads for cherry blossom trees. Or celebrate Arbor Day with these wire bonsai trees! So many options....

!!B CR8IV!!

Day of the Dead Shadowbox

2011-10-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, this year my students made nichos or shadowboxes with clay skeletons. This was done in a two day workshop. I show students lots of examples of day of the dead folk art and we discuss the events of the holiday. On the first day, we made our clay bones, all of the parts are hand built separately except for the spine and ribs which are scratched-to-attached together. Some students added hats to their skulls and some added guitars or dresses to add to the festive skeletons.We also painted the box on the first day with acrylic paints. I used cardboard boxes but you can use any interesting box or container you find. Cigar boxes, wood packing boxes or even small drawers will work great. Once the bones have been fired in the kiln and the paint on the box is dry, you are ready to decorate. Each student will need a good tacky glue to use to glue the bones in position to the back of the box. They other elements can be added using found objects or other materials. I used glitter paper, rickrack ribbon, cut copper foil, beads, found plastic pieces & cut fabrics. You could also use sharpie markers to decorate on top of the painted box or right on the clay bones. Wall paper or wrapping papers with festive colors or flowers would be a great addition too. As students finished their nichos I punched two holes in the top of the box and pulled a ribbon though tying knots on the ends so that they could hang their shadowboxes on the wall for decoration. There are so many colorful and creative options for this project, so enjoy and B CR8IV!!

Tea Bowls

2011-10-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

The Japanese have mastered the art of the tea bowl, which can range in style from a perfectly symmetrical shape or an exquisitely organic form. This is a great project to talk about the anatomy of a pot with your students; the lip, body and foot are all essential elements to the parts of a tea bowl. There are a few options to build the body of the bowl, one is to make a pinch-pot with high sides to it, or if you have access to a potters wheel, throwing a bowl is an option, the other choice which I have done here is to use a slab of clay. I rolled out my clay flat and used a paper template to cut a small cylindrical shape, you can cut out rectangular paper templates for your students too. Once the shape is cut out, its rolled into a cylinder and the edges are scratched-to-attached together. The bottom is made narrower by cutting 4 V-shaped notches or darts, one on each side. Then scratch the inside edge of those V-shaped cuts and fold them in together. This may leave a small square hole in the very bottom of your tea bowl, if it does, just cut a small flat square to scratch-to-attach on and cover the hole. This procedure is a little bit tricky but it shapes the body of your tea bowl to be wider towards the top and narrower towards the foot, which is the traditional shape of a tea bowl. Design and pattern can be added to the outside now using tools or stamps and the lip of the bowl should be smoothed out with your finger. Next, roll out a coil of clay and wrap it up to make a small donut shape that will fit onto the bottom of your tea bowl to create the foot. Make sure to scratch-to-attach both parts together and also add some surface decoration to the foot. To learn more about the tradition of tea bowls and the Japanese Tea Ceremony, click here.

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Mugs with Mugs

2011-05-20T08:40:00.000-07:00

Start by rolling out a slab of clay that is about 10" x 5" long and about 3/8th's of an inch thick. You can give students a template for cutting out the basic rectangle or let them decide on the size. For this smaller mug, I cut out a rectangle that is about 9 x 4. The short edges of the rectangle need to be scratched and then it is wrapped up into a cylinder, attaching the edges together. To create the bottom, you'll need another slab of clay. If you have enough clay left over from your rectangle, use that, if not re-roll out all of your scrap pieces of clay. Then take the cylinder and put it on top of the slab of clay and using a pointy tool or a knife, trace around the perimeter of the cylinder to get the exact size needed for the mug. Once it's cut out, go ahead and scratch-to-attach it on, I find it's easier to do this when the mug is upside down or if you put on hand on the inside of the cylinder and connect it with the other hand on the outside. HINT: Make sure that you don't leave any holes when your attaching the parts of the cylinder together--your hot chocolate will leak out!! This creates a basic cup shape which could be used for a variety of projects but since we're making mugs, the next step is to add a handle.

Using the extra clay that you have, cut out a long thin rectangle, about a inch wide by 4" long. Fold the top of the rectangle over so that from the side it looks like half of a heart shape. Scratch-to-attach the top and bottom of the heart shape and the top and bottom of your mug. Press the handle on using your fingers on the inside and outside of your mug making sure it's secure. (Don't pick it up by the handle until its fired!!)

Your mug is complete and you're ready to decorate with the faces. I like to make 6 spheres, flatten them into a pancake shape and scratch-to-attach them onto the mug. Then using clay tools and some examples of different emotions, I challenge students to come up with 6 different emotions using just dots and lines. This challenge helps keep the faces simple and helps students focus on just the expression. Sometimes students like to put a face on the inside bottom of their mugs so that when you drink, you get a surprise face at the bottom! ; )

!!! B CR8IV!!!

Build A Better Burger

2011-05-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

My students LOVE this project! We've created realistic burgers like the one pictured here and also themed ones-like bug or candy burgers. My students imagination's run wild with ideas of what kind of burger a mermaid might like to eat, maybe seaweed lettuce and starfish cheese!

To create these realistic pop art burgers I have students start at the bottom and work their way up and usually I require them to have 6 or more layers to their burger. Each item added is shaped by hand or using tools to give each piece unique texture. I encourage students to be creative with what they're adding on-squirts of ketchup, pickle slices, maybe a side of fries. I have students stack but not attach them together. The only item that is actually scratched-to-attached on is the sesame seeds. Once bisque fired, each item is still separate which makes each item easier to glaze. After all the items are glazed, they are re-stacked and when glaze fired, the glaze will fuse the pieces together where ever they are touching.

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Patterned Pencil Holder

2011-05-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

These slab-built pencil holders are easy for any age and make great gifts. Start by rolling out a slab of clay that is about 3/8ths of an inch thick and about 5" wide by 9" long. You can give students a rectangular paper template to help them cut out the right size.  Determining the size is a great opportunity to talk about the functional aspects of our pencil holders- too short or wide and the pencils will fall out, to tall and you won't be able to reach them. Sometimes, I have students test their pieces with a pencil and if they don't pass the "pencil test", they need to rethink the size or shape of their pieces.

Once you have the slab of clay the correct size, cut out your rectangle (about 5"x 9"). Wrap the rectangle into a cylinder and scratch-to-attach the edges together. Next, use your extra clay to roll out another slab of clay (same thickness) so we can trace the cylinder to make the bottom. If you trace the cylinder, you know that it will fit exactly onto the bottom. Scratch-to-attach the bottom of the cylinder and the edge of the circle you've cut out. I like to flip my whole cylinder over to attach on the bottom and blend in the edges. You can also reach inside the cylinder with one hand and use the other on the outside to blend the two pieces together.

Now you're ready to create your patterns! I give students a lot of examples of patterns they could use on their pieces and I also encourage them to experiment with the clay tools, sometimes using the back of a tool will create an interesting shape in the clay. Also using other objects such as pen caps, beads or natural materials will create an interesting mark too. Encourage students to cover the surface of their clay in at least 5 different patterns. Once they are finished, let the pencil holders dry completely, bisque fire them, glaze them and then glaze fire them.

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Carved Drywall Stamps and Textured Boxes

2011-04-29T07:37:00.000-07:00

This project happens in two parts. First you'll need a section of drywall (it's great to grab scraps from anyone who's doing a remodel project). Then you need to get the paper off of one side of the drywall, if you soak it in a shallow container of water for about an hour, you should be able to peel the paper right off. Next, you're ready for the carving. I use clay tools to carve into the drywall and its rather easy to carve if its still wet from the soaking process. HINT: Make sure you clean your tools well before using them in clay again, plaster can make your clay explode in the kiln!

Start by dividing up your drywall into sections so that that you have 6-8 different shaped areas, then choose a different texture to carve into each area. When you've finished carving, let the drywall dry and if you get lots of little crumbs stuck from carving, use a paintbrush to clean them out. These carvings can be very interesting in their own right and can be painted with watercolors if you wish or you can use them as handmade texture stamps for clay.

Now for the second part, roll out a slab of clay that is about 3/8ths of an inch thick (about as thick as a pancake) and about 12"x 12" across. Lay your clay on top of your textured drywall and gently press the clay into the texture, if you need to move the clay to texture another area, just peel it off, move it and press again until your clay is completely textured. This is when students will see the negative and postive shapes of their carving. Any spot that they carved deep in the drywall will be popping out of their clay. HINT: The drywall may crack if you put uneven pressure on it but the paper backing will hold it together and your stamp will still work fine. HINT: If you see lots of pieces of plaster in your clay, you'll need to pick them out carefully with a tool, as they can make your clay explode in the kiln!

I give students a paper template to trace and cut out the 4 walls for their textured box, this helps make sure that their walls will be straight. The boxes that I'm showing here are about 6" tall by 3" wide, but you can make your box any shape you'd like. HINT: Shorter cube shaped boxes are easier for small hands! If you run out of room on your slab of clay to cut all your pieces, just combine all the little pieces together, roll out another slab, texture it and continue cutting the pieces. Scratch-to-Attach all of the edges of your walls and carefully start to build them together making sure that the corners are attached really well here. To make the bottom and the lid, trace the perimeter of your box on top of your slab and cut out one of these shapes for the bottom and one for the lid. Scratch-to Attach the bottom on making sure that the edges are well attached. Using your extra clay pieces create a handle for your lid (any shape or size you'd like) and scratch-to attach it onto the lid.

Let the boxes completely dry, then bisque fire. When you're ready to glaze, I like to put a glaze on and then use a sponge to wipe some of the glaze off of the surface which really enhances the texture. The glaze will pool and be deeper colored in the texture and lighter on the surface.

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Nature Fossils

2011-04-22T07:09:00.000-07:00

These fossils are made from plaster poured into a clay mold and then finished with watercolor paints and bees wax. This is a two day process to allow the plaster to dry throughly.

First I have students choose a selection of natural objects, we may go on a walk to find these pieces. Shells, leaves, twigs etc. all work great for this project. I also let them choose from some plastic toy bugs, frogs or dinosaurs I have in the studio. All of these pieces are pushed into a slab of clay so that they leave a texture and fairly deep indent in the clay. This is a great opportunity to discuss negative and positive space in art.

Next students build a wall around the sides of their slab, attaching it on so that there are no holes or weak spots on the edges where plaster may leak out. Then I mix up the plaster, I don't generally measure the plaster to water ratio, but try to get a consistancy similar to pudding. If I have a large class, the plaster is mixed in batches (maybe 5 students at a time). I then pour the plaster into their mold filling it so that the plaster is about 2 inches deep. Students are asked to gently tap the sides of their mold and the top of the plaster to wiggle out any air bubbles that may have gotten trapped. Once the plaster has started to hold its shape but it still soft a wire loop can be placed in so that the fossil can be hung on the wall when finished. The plaster takes about 20 minutes to set but 24 hours to cure completely. Once the plaster has set, the clay can gently be removed from the sides and the "rock" of plaster can be flipped over to remove the clay from the bottom. This will reveal the positive shapes of all the nature items that were pushed into the clay. Write students names on their plaster and let cure until the following day.

Once the plaster is cured you can paint it will any type of paint, I like to use watercolors for this project. This is a great opportunity to pull out your handy-dandy color wheel and discuss warm and cool colors. I usually let students choose which they'd like to use and then challange them to mix up 10 colors that are either warm or cool to use on their project. Once painted, the plaster will dry rather quickly as it sucks the water out of the paint and then I like to use a bees wax furniture polish to seal the surface. It also gives the surface a semi-gloss sheen to it. If you've included a wire hanging loop on the back of your plaster, you fossil can be hung up for display!

!!!B CR8IV!!!

When Pigs Fly...

2011-04-16T17:26:00.000-07:00

I love to show David Wiesner's book Tuesday to my students when we create this project. His amazing illustrations of flying frogs are a great jumping off point for students to start their own flying pig projects. We talk about all the ways that a pig could fly...superman capes, jet packs and wings are some of the most popular ideas. The pigs' bodies are made from simple pinch pots. Start with two equal spheres of clay and make them into pinch pots by pushing your thumb into the center of the sphere and squeezing around the sides until you have a small bowl shape. Do the same to both spheres. Take your scratching tool (wire tool, fork, comb...) and scratch-to-attach the edges of the bowls. Then gently push them together and smooth out the seam with your fingers. This hollow shape creates the body of your pig.

Now using some extra clay, create your snout, legs, tail, eyes and ears, plus of course your mode of flying. If you're making wings like I did, roll out two small coils of clay and gently press them flat, scratch the end of each shape and scratch the back of your pigs' body and attach them on, you can also add feathery texture to them with a tool. You can make legs by rolling out snakes or coils of clay and then scratch-to-attach them onto the body, think about the position you want your pig to be in, mine are attached in "superman" pose. I also used a knife to cut the toes of my pig. To make the snout I make a "mini-marshmellow" shape or a short cylinder and use a poking tool to create the nostrils. The eyes are small spheres that are flattened and also poked to create pupils. To make the ears I flatten a small pancake shape of clay and then cut out two equal triangles. The tail can be tricky to roll out a thin coil of clay and then wrap it up into a spiral, I recommend using extra soft clay to do this. Remember that all of your pigs' parts need to be scratched-to-attached on! This is a great project to talk about the difference between realistic art and abstracted art with your students. I like to show them how to build parts and let their imagination take over....I also allow them to make their pig blue with yellow spots if they want too as another form of abstraction!

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Owls

2011-04-13T23:11:00.000-07:00

These owls are made from simple pinch pots and can be made small or large enough to sit in the garden. Start with two equal spheres of clay and make them into pinch pots by pushing your thumb into the center of the sphere and squeezing around the sides until you have a small bowl shape. Do the same to both spheres. Take your scratching tool (wire tool, fork, comb...) and scratch-to-attach the edges of the bowls. Then gently push them together and smooth out the seam with your fingers. This creates the body of your owl.

Now using some extra clay, create your beak, wings, feet, eyes and ear tufts. For the wings, roll out two small coils of clay and gently press them flat, scratch the end of each shape and scratch the shoulder of your owls body and attach them on. You can make feet the same way but scratch-to-attach them onto the bottom of the body and then use a knife to cut the toes. I like to squeeze the clay with my pincher fingers to create the ear tufts but you could also roll out small cone shapes of clay and attach them on. The beak is a small triangle and the eyes are two spheres with a smaller dot pushed into them. Remember that all of your owls' parts need to be scratched-to-attached on!

You can also give your owl a feathery texture by scoring the clay with your scratching tool. HINT: Don't forget to poke a hole into the hollow space of your owl so that it doesn't explode in the kiln!!! Let them dry, bisque fire, glaze and glaze fire them. OPTION: If your students make a few small owls or other birds, hot glue them onto an interesting piece of driftwood so they appear to be sitting on a branch.

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Textured Picture Frames

2011-04-13T22:36:00.000-07:00

These textured picture frames are simple to build and make great gifts! Start by rolling out a slab of clay that is about 3/8ths of an inch thick (about as thick as a pancake) and a little larger than you'd like your picture frame to be.

The next step is adding texture to the clay and there are so many choices! You can use found objects such as leaves, buttons or shells. Rubber stamps work great in clay and ABC stamps can help personalize a frame. The bottom of shoes have great designs for texture and the kids love stepping on their clay! This frame was textured with rubbing plates that were pushed into the surface with a rolling pin. Blick Art Supplies has a huge selection of textured rubbing plates to choose from. Once you've decided on your texture, cover your clay with it.

Cut out the outside shape of your picture frame, this one is about 5" square. Then cut the hole where your picture will show through, be careful not to cut to close to the outside edge, you want to keep at least an inch of thickness all the way around your frame. Save the inside square that you've cut out! Next, carefully turn your frame over to attach the stand onto the back. Using the inside square that you saved, cut it diagonally into 2 triangles, then scratch-to-attach them onto the bottom sides of your frame.

Let your frame dry laying down. Once dry, the triangle stands should support the frame upright. Bisque fire, glaze, glaze fire, tape on your photo and you're all set to give out a great handmade gift!

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Pop Art Pencils

2011-04-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

I love to look at Claes Oldenburg's giant pop art sculptures as inspiration for this project! Start by rolling out a slab of clay that is about 3/8ths of an inch thick (I tell my students to make it about as thick as a pancake), at least 12" wide and about 18" long. This slab is easily rolled out with a slab roller, but if you're using rolling pins its going to be tough work! Cut out a rectangle approximately 12" x 18" and scratch along the edge of both long sides. Then you're going to roll up your rectangle into a cylinder and attach the edges together. This can get a little wobbly especially if your clay is very soft, so rolling your clay around a cardboard tube can help it keep its shape. Once the cylinder is made, trace the bottom of it on another small slab of clay to make the bottom (the eraser end) and scratch-to-attach it onto the cylinder. Now we're going to make the pointed pencil tip, so if you've used a cardboard tube on the inside, you'll need to remove it. Using a knife or needle tool, make four equally spaces V shape cuts into the top of your cylinder that are about 1.5" wide at the top of the V and about 2.5 - 3" long. Next scratch the inside edges of those V cuts and then fold all the points in towards the middle of your cylinder. This should make the point of your pencil, smooth out the seam lines where you've scratched-to attached. Next you can add details like the texture of the metal ferrule, the edges the sharpened wood line, add some text where the pencil company's name would be. Also make sure that the eraser end is flat enough that your pencil can stand up safely and don't forget to poke a hole into the empty hollow space so that your pencils don't explode in the kiln! Let them dry, bisque fire them, glaze them and fire again. My students love to pretend they are writing with giant pencils when they are finished.

!!B CR8IV!!

Ceramic House Numbers

2011-02-03T07:48:00.000-08:00

These house numbers are easy to make and are a great house warming gift! Start by printing out your desired numbers in the font and size of your choice. Make sure that you haven't chosen a font that is to thin in any area as it will be fragile when you make it in clay. Roll out a slab of clay that is about 3/8 of an inch thick and smooth the surface of it. Then lay the paper with your printed out numbers on top of your clay, make sure that they fit easily onto the clay slab. Use a pointy tool start to trace the outside lines of your numbers gently pressing without cutting into the paper. Once you have traced all the lines, lift up your paper and you should see an indent in the clay outlining your numbers. I like to use an x-acto knife to cut the clay but if students are cutting these out you may want to stick to a pointy tool or a clay fettling knife. Carefully cut out each of your numbers and remove the excess clay. Use a hole cutter to punch out holes so that you can hang your numbers with screws later, smooth out the edges and you're done! You could of course add texture to these pieces too using rubber stamps or texture plates. HINT: Flat pieces of clay tend to warp when the dry, try putting a heavy board on top of your house numbers as they dry, it will take longer for them to dry but they will stay flat and will be easy to hang up. HINT: Once they have been bisque fired, and you are ready to glaze them, it is a good idea to glaze all surfaces and seal the clay completely if they are going to be used outside, they will be less likely to absorb water and hence less likely to break if the temperature drops below freezing. OPTION: You can follow this exact process to create letters, like a child's name for their wall or a teacher's name for a classroom.

!!!B CR8IV!!!

Clay & Copper Sun

2011-02-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

This summer sun is a great project to build in two stages. The face of the sun is built with clay while the rays are made of a thick copper foil. I had my students cut out the shape of their sun's face and then we talked about 3-D shapes that we could add on for the features (spheres for eyes, pyramid for the nose and a cylinder for the mouth), we also created texture with the clay tools on the surface of the face. I also added a kanthal wire loop in the top of the clay so that it could be hung later. The clay pieces were fired and then in this case I had students use watercolor paints to add color to the clay, they could be glazed just as easily. We looked at a color wheel and discusses the various names for the different colors. I had students use a palette of warm or cool colors to paint their sun faces with. For the rays of the sun, each student was give a retangle shaped piece of thick copper foil, a stack of newspaper and a dull pencil. If you use the dull pencil and push into the foil using the newspaper as a cushion underneath, you can tool the foil with a variety of patterns and designs. I have my students divide up their rectangle into 5 or 6 different shapes and then each shape is filled with a different pattern. The result is a textured surface on the opposite side of the foil. Once the entire piece is covered with designs, student will cut up the foil into their rays. PLEASE NOTE: The foil can have sharp edges when cutting, younger children will need help with this part. Each ray is glued onto the back of the sun using a hot glue gun and a ribbon can be looped through the wire loop at the top to hang your clay and copper sun!
!!!B CR8IV!!!

Pinch Pot Monsters

2011-01-21T07:42:00.000-08:00

One of my talented students thought up this clever idea to create a sculpture from a basic pinch pot. Start by cutting about 1/2 pound block of clay in half.

Take one piece and roll it into a sphere.

Push your thumb into the sphere and squeeze around the sides to create a pinch pot.

This pinch pot becomes the mouth of your monster, so shape it however you'd like the mouth to be positioned to show an emotion. Mine's going to be wide mouthed and yelling!

Now its time to add on your monsters parts. I've created five spheres for eyes.

Don't forget to use a scoring tool to scratch-to-attach all of your parts on!

You can use a tool to add details like pupils for the eyes.

I rolled out a coil of clay and then flattened it to create a tongue.

Feet can be made by rolling out a coil of clay and flattening just the foot, then use a knife to cut individual toes. You can also use a small tool to push in toenail shapes too.

It is better to attach the feet to a wide surface rather than edge to edge, they are less likely to break off this way. Gently flip your monster over and scratch-to-attach the bottom of your pinch pot and the feet, then blend together. The tongue can be attached the same way inside of the mouth.

The tail is made by rolling out a coil of clay so that it is thinner at one end and thicker at the other. Scratch-to attach the thicker end and blend it into the body shape when you attach it on, this will be fragile so make sure that it is securely attached before you start moving your sculpture around.

Small cone shapes can be made and added onto the tail to create spikes.

Spiky teeth can be added inside the mouth as well.

The back of a tool can be used to add texture to your monsters skin.

B Cr8iv with all of the varieties of pinch pot monsters you can make!

Keith Haring Cubes

2010-12-21T15:21:00.000-08:00

This project is great for older kids to use examples of Keith Haring's fun pop art paintings to create their own sculptures. I begin by showing lots of examples of the repeated symbols Haring used in his work (people, hearts, babies, barking dogs etc..) and we also discuss pop art. Using slabs of clay we cut 6 equal squares, you can use a template to make it easier or cut one square and use it to trace the rest. 5 of the squares will get a Keith Haring design of the students choosing, 1 square will become the bottom of the cube. Using their scrap pieces of clay students can cut out shapes of hearts, people, flying saucers etc and scratch them onto a square, each panel should have a different Haring inspired image. Students can also show the horizon line, energy lines and a texture for the background or floor area using their tools or additional pieces of clay. Once the squares have been designed, all the edges need to be scratched really well, without destroying the designs and then assembled. I find that it's easiest to start with the bottom one and attach each wall, then put on the lid. After they have been bisque fired and are ready to be glazed, remind students again about the color palette that is seen in Haring's work--bright primary colors!

!B CR8IV!

Peacocks

2010-12-21T12:23:00.000-08:00

For this project we build the body of the peacocks the same way we have built our fish sculptures. Using 2 pinch pots that are scratched together and smoothed over to make a hollow egg shape. The neck is a rolled out snake or coil of clay with one end thicker to attach to the chest of the bird, use your fingers to pinch the thinner end into a pointy beak and use tools to create the nostrils, mouth and eye details. Wings are also scratched onto the the sides of the body, then texture is applied to give the bird a feathery look. The tail and head feathers are done using high temperature wire in different gauges. The high temperature wire (sometimes called kanthal wire) can be put into the clay when it is wet and fired in the clay. I used a thicker gauge on the tail feathers and a very thin gauge for the head feathers. The head feathers have small spheres of clay added on to the tips of the wire, while the tail feather wires are left empty. The pieces are fired and glazed and fired again. For the final step, I offered my students a selection of beads to put onto their tailfeather wires, we discussed using patterns and also using warm colors or cool colors depending on what they had choosen to glaze their birds. The final top bead got a drop of glue in it to keep them all from sliding off the wire. Once the glue dries the peacocks are ready.

!B CR8IV!

Fish Sculptures

2010-09-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

Create a fun fish sculpture using the pinch pot method of building and scratching-to-attach your parts on. Choose to create a realistic looking fish or an abstracted one. Experiment with your tools to create a variety of textures.

Sessions: One 1 hour session to build

Age: Kinder and up

Materials:
Low Fire Clay
A Variety of Clay Tools
Low Fire Glazes & Brushes
Kiln

Steps:

1. Cut off a piece of clay that is about as big as a baseball.

2. Cut it into 3 equal pieces, two will be for the body of the fish and one for adding on parts.

3. Make two of the pieces into spheres by rolling them in your hands. Put the 3rd piece aside for now.

4. Push your thumb into each sphere and start to squeeze around the side to create a small pinch pot, repeat this with the other sphere.

5. Using a scratching tool, "scratch-to attach" the edges of both pinch pots so they will stay connected together. Anytime we attach two pieces of clay together, we'll be using scratch-to-attach techniques.

6. Gently press both halves together and blend the seam until the shape is smooth, be careful not to dent in the sphere as you smooth. You can shape the sphere to be more egg shaped for the body of your fish but make sure that you are keeping a hollow space inside the clay--if it is squeezed to the point where its a solid piece of clay, it can explode in the kiln. HINT: You can use steps 1-6 to use as a base for building a lot of projects.

7. Now you are ready to start adding on your fish parts using your extra piece of clay that we put to the side. Start with the tail rolling out a hot dog shape of clay and bend it into a cresent moon shape, then scratch-to-attach it on to one end of the body. Then blend it into the body using your fingers and squeeze the tail thinner by pinching it and shaping it.

8. Next, add on two large spheres for bulging eyes and use a tool (or the back of a tool) to push in a pupil.

9. You can use a knife to cut the mouth open or just draw a mouth on, squeezing the cheeks gently will make the mouth open wider.

10. To add the dorsal fin, roll out a small hotdog shape and scratch-to-attach it on to the back of your fish. Then you can squeeze it thinner and shape it to be a little wavy with your fingers.

11. To make the side fins, start with a hot dog shape, flatten it gently and cut it in half with a knife, then scratch-to-attach one on each side of your fish.

12. Using a small loop tool you can gently press into the body of your fish to create a scale texture. You can also add different textures to the fins, tail and belly of your fish by using different tools.

13. You also have the choice of abstracting your fish by adding on other parts, like a hat, skateboard or making it hold something in its fins. Some of my students have made their fish wearing jetpacks, skiing or wearing a tutu! Let your finished fish dry before you bisque fire them and they are ready to glaze and fire again.

B CR8IV!!

3-D Clay People

2010-08-13T17:16:00.000-07:00

3-D Clay People

To begin this project I have students identify the names of basic 3-D shapes (sphere, cylinder, cube, pyramid, cone, rectangular prism & egg). Then each student gets a small piece of clay to practice making all of these shapes using only their fingers and the flat surface of the table to make them. Once everyone has practiced making each of these shapes we discuss how we can attach them together to create a person. For example: a cone for a body, an egg for a head, cylinders for arms or legs, a cube to sit on to help them balance etc.... I give students more clay and allow them to make larger 3-D shapes and multiples of the shapes to start to build their sculpture. Remember that all of the shapes need to be scratch-to-attached together or they will fall apart when the clay dries. The shapes can also be given textures and patterns using tools to add details to your sculptures. Challenge students to keep adding on parts using only these basic shapes.

B CR8IV!

Clay Planter Heads

2010-08-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

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!!

Clay Emotion Heads

2010-07-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

Create a human head expressing any emotion you'd like using the pinch pot method of building and scratching-to-attach your parts on.

Sessions: One 30 min - 1 hour session

Age: Kinder and up

Materials:

Low Fire Clay
A Variety of Clay Tools
Photo examples of different human expressions
Low Fire Glazes & Brushes
Kiln

Steps:

1. Cut off a piece of clay that is about as big as a baseball.

2. Cut it into 3 equal pieces, two will be for the head and one for adding on parts.

3. Make two of the pieces into spheres by rolling them in your hands.
Put the 3rd piece aside for now.

4. Push your thumb into each sphere and start to squeeze around the side to create a small pinch pot, repeat this with the other sphere.

6. Gently press both halves together and blend the seam until the shape is smooth, be careful not to dent in the sphere as you smooth. You can shape the sphere to be more head shaped but make sure that you are keeping a hollow space inside the clay--if it is squeezed to the point where its a solid piece of clay, it can explode in the kiln. HINT: You can use steps 1-6 to build a base for building a lot of projects.

7. Now its time to be creative and start adding on your human head parts using that 3rd piece of clay we put aside in the beginning. Just break off small pieces to start shaping eyes, ears, nose etc....

8. Remember that any parts you add on must be scratched-to-attached on--think velcro!!

9. Use your tools to help you create a lot of emotion in your face.

10. Add unexpected elements, like this bee on the nose of the clay head to create a story about what is going on with your sculpture.

11. Adding hair, hats or other items to the back of a head can make the whole sculpture more interesting to look at by adding an element of texture.

12. Once all of the parts are added on,the last thing you need is to make sure that there is a hole into the hollow space of your head (in this case the mouth is the hole), you can use a pointy tool and just poke a hole through in the bottom of your piece. HINT: If you forget this step, there is a really good chance your project will explode in the kiln because you are trapping air!! Let your piece dry completely, fire it in the kiln and then use glazes to enhance your sculpture and finally fire it again to complete your piece.

ENJOY!!!

Ice Cream Bowls

2010-06-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

This is a great basic clay project that anyone can enjoy!

Create your very own ice cream bowl using the pinch pot method of building, design patterns & textures and think about the functionality of your bowl; size, shape & texture.

Sessions: One 30 min - 1 hour session
Age: Kinder and up

Materials:

Low Fire Clay

A Variety of Clay Tools

Low Fire Glazes & Brushes
Kiln

Steps:

1. Cut off a piece of clay that is about as big as a baseball.

2. Shape it into a sphere by hitting it with curved hands until all flat sides and points are rounded.

3. Push your thumb into the sphere (be careful not to go all the way through).

4. Start to squeeze the clay with your thumb on the inside and your fingers on the outside. Squeeze and turn the clay so the hole that you made with your thumb is stretched out and starts to form a bowl. This is called making a pinch pot because you are pinching your clay into the shape of a pot/bowl. Keep squeezing and stretching the clay until it is stretched out to the size that you want your bowl to be. Hint: If you stretch and squeeze it to much, you clay will become thin and fragile, try to keep it about as thick as a pancake.

5. Now you can change the shape of your bowl if you'd like. It can be anything; oval, heart, triangle.... I'm going with a square shape for this bowl. You can also use this time to smooth out any cracks or rough areas of clay--your fingers are a great tool for this! Hint: You can also use a spray bottle to keep your clay damp--don't overdo it though, your clay will become mush!

6. Now it's time to decorate your bowl, use your clay tools to add design, pattern and texture to your pieces. Experiment with different ideas, if you don't like them, you can always smooth them out and try something different.

7. Sometimes finding tools that are not really for clay; such as this ballpoint pen, can create a really effective design.

8. I like to create the majority of my design and texture on the outside of the piece, this helps keep the bowl easy to clean, especially if its going to be used for food.

9. The finished design!

10. This bowl will now need to dry completely, be fired in a kiln to cone 04 so that it is bisqued, then it will be glazed with a variety of colors and fired again. Then all that you'll need is ice cream!

ENJOY!!

Create a Bottle Bug!

2010-06-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

You can recycle and make a great looking insect for your garden!
Check out these step by step directions...

Description: Create an imaginary insect using a recycled glass bottle that is decorated with colorful patterns and designs using glass paints. Add wings, legs, antennae and stingers using a variety of wires.

Sessions: 2-3 One hour sessions to complete

Ages: Grade 3 and up

Materials:

Glass bottle

Variety of wires: steel, brass, copper in a variety of gauges

Glass Paints

Brushes, Water Containers and Paint Rags

Pliers

Variety of mixed media materials for insect accessories (beads, washers, springs…)

Steps:

1. Choose a bottle; look at the shape, color, size and texture of it. Try to imagine where the head, tail, wings, legs etc will go on your bottle.

2. Clean and remove the labels from your bottle using warm soapy water and let dry completely.

3. Using glass paints, create designs on the bottle that you want your bug body to have. For example, polka dots, stripes or swirls. Leave some areas of glass still showing. Use the glass paint outliner, which has a thicker texture to enhance your designs or create smaller details. Try not to smudge your designs as you work around the sides of the bottle. Let your paint dry for 24 hours.

4. Bake your painted bottles in the oven at 300 degrees for 35 min or according to the directions on the glass paints you use. Once baked the paints are permanently on the glass. (Dishwasher safe too!)

5. Using an 18 -20 gauge wire, create 3 rings; use your pliers to twist the ends together tightly. One ring should fit slightly loose around the neck of the bottle and two should fit loosely around the body of your bottle.

6. Cut 3 lengths of wire (the same as you used in the rings or a different wire) longer than the length of your bottle and twist the ends of the each of the lengths around the neck ring spaced out evenly. Slide the neck ring with the 3 lengths attached over the neck of your bottle and loop each length around the rings created for the body of your bottle. Then pull all 3 lengths tight at the opposite end of your bottle and twist together tightly; use pliers as needed. You will use these wires to connect all of your parts onto your bug.

7. To create the wings, bend a long length of wire into shape and twist to hold it there, use the loose ends to attach it to the body wires.

8. Cut two lengths of a thick gauge wire to make 4 legs (add as many legs as you want too!) slide the wire under the body wires and use smaller gauge wire to twist around and hold in place. Shape the legs as desired; knees, feet or add beads etc…

9. Be creative finding spare hardware parts to create eyes and antennae, use small gauge wire to connect and twist it into place. Add on colored wires, screen or other decorative items to enhance your bottle bug, and then find him a good spot in the garden to hide!