Pres

A good teacher, trained as one or not, is one who constantly seeks knowledge and solutions to the problems of their students. If the knowledge or the solutions come from the student, bravo. Often with adults this happens, as they know where they want to go or what they want to make and have researched in that direction. Now putting that knowledge together with skills, that is often the place of a teacher well grounded in the medium.

Hi Sharon, welcome to CAD forums, and good on you for volunteering.
 
I'm too far to away come and help, but slip-casting (pouring) is (to me) the easiest job in the studio.
 
Like everything though, you will need to test, test, test and make good notes.
 
Start with a two-piece mould.  Apply mould straps so mould cannot openup. Using a soft brush, make sure there is nothing inside, no dust, old clay, spiders nests........ Stir your bucket of slip thoroughly for several minutes.  If it's been hanging around for a while you might want to sieve it. Using a plastic jug with an open-bottomed handle scoop up some slip. Pour the slip into the mould until it is full to the very top. Hang the jug on the rim of the bucket, so it drips back into the bucket. Set a minute-timer for 10 minutes.  I use 10 for earthenware, 20 for stoneware slip, but this differs depending on heat and humidity. Meanwhile, find a pair of flat sticks or an old fridge shelf and place over top of bucket, to hold upturned mould. When timer goes off, use a plastic tool to cut a small v-shape (10mm by 10mm max) from the setting slip in the pour hole so you can see the thickness of the cast. Re-set timer for more if needed. Pour slip from mould back into bucket. Leave mould upturned on sticks until slip stops running out. Leave upside down, or right way up for several hours (again this depends on humidity), until you can see the clay start to shrink away from the mould. Use thin end of plastic tool (lucy tool - http://www.cromartiehobbycraft.co.uk/imagecache/c0b4830c-141b-490c-999d-a27e00a10685_800x479.jp)  to remove clay from the pour hole.  This action is a bit like scraping round a bowl with a spatula to remove all the cake mix. Undo mould straps. Place mould on side with seam horizontal.   Use thick end of plastic (lucy) tool to gently prise the two halves of mould apart, then lift top half of mould away from bottom half. Allow to dry a bit more, then carefully remove "pot" from mould. Put the mould back together, with mould straps and leave in a dry, airy place for <>24 hours before re-using (depending on, yes, you've guessed, the humidity. Place pot on thick piece of foam and fettle (clean up the seams etc) when leatherhard. Wash, rinse, spin, repeat
 
The really difficult bits are deciding how long to leave the slip in the mould, and knowing when to open the mould, and the physical size and weight of some of the moulds.
 
Not enough/too much time = too thin or too thick castings.  Opening the mould too soon usually results in tearing the pot apart as it is still sticking to parts of the mould.  Leaving too long for a simple vase, say, might not be a problem, but for a complex figurine, the shrinkage can pull the pot apart.
 
You can allow any boo-boos to dry completely and then throw them back in the slip bucket, or start a new bucket and add water.
 
You can add (I recall) up to one third recycled, dry slip to a bucket of new slip without too much problem.  More than that and you need to read this article: http://www.ceramicindustry.com/articles/84299-ppp-successful-slip-castingand then this one: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/527ac372e4b0d4e47bb0e554/t/527fd7f1e4b0c046bfa9b90d/1384110065234/Dispersant+Addition+Procedures.pdf.  It's a bit heavy going, but doable.
 
 
Good luck     

Q's:
 
Is it Craft or is it Art?
You and I may have one idea about a piece of ceramic, while trust me, the oil painters in the gallery/art school/art faire may have another. (Personally, if it's non-utilitarian IMO it's art. But some utilitarian work is so artistic it crosses the line into Art as well. Also, it's a bit like defining God, I feel a bit full of myself just trying. Your opinion may differ.)
 
Is there a genre of ceramics that you hate?
Hopefully no one will get offended. You'll notice I didn't give an opinion.
 
Do you tend to end up using the same general color schemes in your glaze work intentionally or unintentionally? (I do. It's various whites over dark clays, usually with the speckles coming through.)
 
(I'm sure I can come up with a few more questions of the noobish sort, just can't think of them right now.)

Or even using the same technique/process in different ways to arrive at the same form. Ex. bowl thrown upside down and right side up, thrown with texture applied before shaping, thrown with texture after shaping, Thrown with double walls, thrown with colored combinations of clay, Thrown in multiple parts, Other variations I am sure are possible.
 
 
best,
Pres

Friends In Clay,,,,,,Periodically it's a good idea for us to remind all forum users, whether you are an active participant, an occasional contributor, or a lurker, to always take advice, especially technical advice, with care. I have not doubt that everyone who gives technical advice is doing so with the best intentions, but you must do your own due diligence by doing additional research into your question. Then, test, test, test,,,,,
 
best to all,
Steven 

Buying a potter's wheel!
 
best wheel low cost
 
Pottery Wheel
 
Did I get ripped off?
 
Brent Wheel Controllers -- Which years were the bad ones?
 
Shimpo VL Whisper vs. Soldner

This strand will be a series of compilations from In the Studio forum. Please do not reply, as these are to be without-wanderings. If you have an idea for a new line here-PM me.
 
PS not my idea, but one John has set up in the Technical forum.
 
Best, Preston

I'm a little late for the discussion but thought I'd jump in for a moment
 
I think I see something slightly overlooked in this teaching clay thread. It is something that became very apparant when I took my first classes in clay, some 27 years ago.
It takes time for people who have never worked with clay to get the muscle memory to work with clay. Of the few people that I have assisted in learning to turn, it was obovious they had not spent enough time with the wheel or slab or coil to feel comfortable with the clay. It takes time and a few hours a week is not enough to develop these skills in a quick  mannor.
I remember how sore my muscles were at first, how tired my hands and wrist were.
 
I know that even now after turning some larger pieces I have to work with smaller light pieces because my hands and arms are starting to get tired.
I also know that my hands get tired before my brain knows I'm tired and I messup some pieces before I tell myself to stop and take a break or quit for the day.
 
Youtube is one of the great teaching aids we can have. Youtube allows students to see how other potters work, how they center and how they,position themselves, etc.
This allows the students to absorb visually what is hard to transmitt verbally.
 
As much fun and pleasure clay can bring, the fact is, it's hard work. I think some beginning students and not aware of the physical demands of learning pottery and lose motivation to dig deeper.
 
Just my 2 cents and change
Wyndham