Ice Cream Cones

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!!!

Ice Cream Cones

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!!!

Build A Better Burger

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!!!

Pop Art Pencils

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!!