Small one off projects

[Babs]

I have ben asked to run a 2 to 3 hr one of clay experience for some women who were affected by bushfires a couple of years ago. This class will be held in a shed, no idea what space each perso  will have .

Any dream, fun  play activity folk have used?

[LeeU]

What  clay body & glazes & type of fire will you be doing--and how many people? And wheel work or slab/other handbuilding?

 

Edited April 3, 2023 by LeeU

[Babs]

1 hour ago, LeeU said:

What  clay body & glazes & type of fire will you be doing--and how many people? And wheel work or slab/other handbuilding?

 

Hand made, pinch, slab or coil.

If non glaze will take to c5.

I would have to do any glaze application.

Clay could be red clay which is short but can tolerate c5

Or cream firing c5.

They have 2-3  hrs go to whoa.

So.....

Could try to dry surfacw....hairdrywrs ?? So could apply coloured under glaze....

 

 

[Roberta12]

I like the underglaze idea.  And you could use handcut paper stencils, simple designs,  circles, squares, clouds, etc.  Could you have them make simple clay cups or mugs?  If they used underglaze, then you could bisque and all you would have to do is dip the pieces in clear.  Just a thought.

r.

[Babs]

6 hours ago, Roberta12 said:

I like the underglaze idea.  And you could use handcut paper stencils, simple designs,  circles, squares, clouds, etc.  Could you have them make simple clay cups or mugs?  If they used underglaze, then you could bisque and all you would have to do is dip the pieces in clear.  Just a thought.

r.

 I think the idea is to get their hands on clay for therapeuticexperience . Ad to that gathering withwomen of like experience, food and wine. BUT maybe I'll make them little cups to decorate.

Thinking ofgiving them a bit of clay to pinch whilst I introduce stuff, or to play with for 5mins and pass to the one on your left...just for fun...

And then????  Give them.a lump to pinch a mug / receptacle, then dry and decorate.

I was learnig to say no but y'know these women have been  strong for their families, many home alone when the fire front engulfed their homes, men ,and women ,  away fighting fire on a different front when the change came.

Edited April 3, 2023 by Babs

[Jeff Longtin]

That sounds like fun Babs. Congrats!

I would steer the women towards coil building mostly. That allows them to make a pot, of any size, of their choosing. Any time I tried to pinch a pot I was always limited to making small cup forms. (To make a tall pinch pot you really need to let the clay stiffen for a period of time. Is that something you can do in this limited situation?)

If you choose to offer slabs of clay maybe you could bring coffee cans or plastic bowl forms that they can use to mold the slabs? Maybe cardboard tubes as well?

When I was in my 20's I worked part time at a daycare center down the street from my studio. One day the head teacher, Dawn, asked me to introduce the kids to clay. For each of the kids, 15 in total, I made small slabs of clay and a few coils. Seven of the children decided to make nests with their slab and coils. What was really cute was that each off the kids had a little story to tell about their nest. (Each had also made little ball forms which represented the eggs.)

The whole experience went in a direction I did not expect and was rewarding as a result. I hope you have similar success.

[Babs]

30 minutes ago, Jeff Longtin said:

That sounds like fun Babs. Congrats!

I would steer the women towards coil building mostly. That allows them to make a pot, of any size, of their choosing. Any time I tried to pinch a pot I was always limited to making small cup forms. (To make a tall pinch pot you really need to let the clay stiffen for a period of time. Is that something you can do in this limited situation?)

If you choose to offer slabs of clay maybe you could bring coffee cans or plastic bowl forms that they can use to mold the 

    @Jeff Longtin                            Wow, didn't think of making slabs for them.!! 

I have a lot of straight preserving "bottles".

I find beginners, unless taught properly, hmm, have quite a lot of failure re coils not squushed, scored and slipped.

Thickish slabs would give the choice of shaping,or/ and texturing.

Thank you Jeff.

[LeeU]

Slabs are easy and fun--they can drape thin circles over upturned cans/bowls to make free-from bowl shapes (flatten an area on the bottom while still soft). They could make pendants, either free-form or using cutter-shapes (I don't suggest the key fobs tho--that was a bad idea LOL).  Large free-form spoon rests and shallow catchall dishes are also fun. Stamping the slabs 1st before forming makes them look more dramatic when glazed.  Also tea light holders are easy-just need to be flat on top, don't even need a well (top left in the spoon rest pic). If there's no time to get good clay stamps, Home Depot has plenty of drawer knobs that work well. 

[LinR]

Pinch pots can be turned upside down and become bells.  Lin

[Babs]

On 4/4/2023 at 10:09 AM, Jeff Longtin said:

That sounds like fun Babs. Congrats!

I would steer the women towards coil building mostly. That allows them to make a pot, of any size, of their choosing. Any time I tried to pinch a pot I was always limited to making small cup forms. (To make a tall pinch pot you really need to let the clay stiffen for a period of time. Is that something you can do in this limited situation?)

If you choose to offer slabs of clay maybe you could bring coffee cans or plastic bowl forms that they can use to mold the 

  Lots of great ideas, folks.

Thank you so much.

B                           

 

[Babs]

My class took place yesterday. The women and a few children had a fine time! 

Gave each a lumo of clay, got them to form into a ball, then hands under the table to shape for a few minutes, then pass to nneighbour, no peeking, x4 so clay now back with original owner, reveal all, keep, or squash.

Lits of laughs, then slab building, or pinching ,  or any of the above, coliured slips, or not..

I had a big bit of paper and they gave their name, drew a sketch of their pots and what glaze they would like listed.

Whew, did they have fun. Exhausted Babs trundled home.

Now to return topack and collect the pots, and home to dry , bisque and glaze. What gutsy folk are out there

[Roberta12]

3 hours ago, Babs said:

My class took place yesterday. The women and a few children had a fine time! 

Gave each a lumo of clay, got them to form into a ball, then hands under the table to shape for a few minutes, then pass to nneighbour, no peeking, x4 so clay now back with original owner, reveal all, keep, or squash.

Lits of laughs, then slab building, or pinching ,  or any of the above, coliured slips, or not..

I had a big bit of paper and they gave their name, drew a sketch of their pots and what glaze they would like listed.

Whew, did they have fun. Exhausted Babs trundled home.

Now to return topack and collect the pots, and home to dry , bisque and glaze. What gutsy folk are out there

What a great idea @Babs   a community effort!  

[Pres]

I used to do guided practice in the dark, my room was without any windows so complete darkness. I would walk around the room calling out the steps to a pinch pot, and they would work on their 1-2#ball of clay. This actually got much better results than the previous exercises, but then it was the third exercise at pinch pots. However almost every one of the students had  thinner more consistent walls with better form.  My reasoning for the exercise in the dark was tactile pinch control, and being able to trust the touch to the thickness of the walls. Sometimes other senses get in the way of touch.

 

best,

Pres

[Babs]

19 hours ago, Pres said:

I used to do guided practice in the dark, my room was without any windows so complete darkness. I would walk around the room calling out the steps to a pinch pot, and they would work on their 1-2#ball of clay. This actually got much better results than the previous exercises, but then it was the third exercise at pinch pots. However almost every one of the students had  thinner more consistent walls with better form.  My reasoning for the exercise in the dark was tactile pinch control, and being able to trust the touch to the thickness of the walls. Sometimes other senses get in the way of touch.

 

best,

Pres

Absolutely, I do this from time to time when throwing, learn to trust the feel, they giggled and laughed AND there were no phallic symbols, sorry , or maybe there were and were never allowed to get placed on the table!!

[Pres]

Once demonstrated for a very good attentive group of students. The demonstration was wheel throwing 3# of clay. I told them it was all about touch. . . then proved it by having one of them blind fold me completely. They had seats enough to not get too antsy. I did the entire demo including shaping and trimming the base of a vase form about 8 inches tall with flared belly and narrow neck flaring to the rim. There were some giggles in the audience, but all seemed good until I removed the blindfold and there was my Vice Principal sitting in among the students. She told me afterwards that she would have never approved such a reckless lesson plan. However, she said she was amazed at how I had them enthralled with the demo, and that it was probably the best demo she had ever seen!  That was my yearly observation, and afterward we seemed to have greater respect for each other.

 

 

best,

Pres

[Babs]

47 minutes ago, Pres said:

Once demonstrated for a very good attentive group of students. The demonstration was wheel throwing 3# of clay. I told them it was all about touch. . . then proved it by having one of them blind fold me completely. They had seats enough to not get too antsy. I did the entire demo including shaping and trimming the base of a vase form about 8 inches tall with flared belly and narrow neck flaring to the rim. There were some giggles in the audience, but all seemed good until I removed the blindfold and there was my Vice Principal sitting in among the students. She told me afterwards that she would have never approved such a reckless lesson plan. However, she said she was amazed at how I had them enthralled with the demo, and that it was probably the best demo she had ever seen!  That was my yearly observation, and afterward we seemed to have greater respect for each other.

 

 

best,

Pres

Well I had a similar experience!

Just down from Northern hemisphere, hot Northerly, just under 40degC, out on sports field, xlegged under tree, kids summoned by hand gestures and demos etc done from shady spot, turned to see a guy leaning up against another tree, summoned him over......he was my supervisor, to judge whether adequate to teach in Aust.!

He was impressed! My excuse, I was out there all day, kids out there 45 mins.

He joked saying, " Well what are you going to do about that dog?"

A big mutt was carrying off a softball!

Well done re your demo. Removing the visuals can help focus on the feedback from the hands, and visualising with eyes closed can be another really underused focus.