Virtual Pottery and Ceramics!

The one thing students were most excited about when they began art this year was clay.  I was determined to figure out a way to make this work.  While we won't be able to work with a large amount of clay, I did send students home with enough clay to get creative!  We will be making pinch pots.  Here is the video that they are following to learn how to create a pinch pot.

Making Pinch Pots!

 I can't wait to see what they come up with!

Clay, the most wonderful time of the school year!

Everyone's favorite project is clay!  These students did not disappoint, their projects are turning out amazing!  Although we've had to stop working on them since Covid-19 has closed our schools here in NC, but I was able to get everything bisque fired last week so they'll be ready to glaze as soon as we return (hopefully) in May!

Clay projects Fall 2019

Clay is always such a rewarding project!  I love seeing what my students come up with for their clay creations. Nothing beats opening up a glaze fired kiln to see all those bright shiny colors!  6th and 8th grade made coil pots and were allowed to decorate or shape them into whatever they choose, while 7th grade made pinch pots into a closed form that they turned into animals, shapes, and other unique objects.  Some of them included balls of clay on the inside so that they make a beautiful rattle once fired. As much as I wish I could keep them in my display case, the students are so excited to take them home as soon as possible!

First round of glaze firings - 6th grade coil pots!

I had planned to wait until I had more pieces ready to post, but these are so beautiful I had to post a few pics! This project has been a lengthy process, between all of the steps and so many students missing days for the flu that hit our county hard.  Now the weather has turned warm and everything outside is blooming and beautiful, just like these amazing pieces!

I know... those paper sculptures have lived in the display case for a while, but they looked so great with the pottery so I left a few. :)

In case you missed my previous post, the underglazes made our pieces look like this:

 Easter pottery anyone? 

Then we coated with a few coats of clear, which really made my students anxious! The clear gloss glaze has an aqua tint that completely covers their beautiful colors, but fires clear.  I had to reassure them over and over that it would not ruin their colors! 

These houses, along with 7th grade’s gnomes, are in the kiln firing to their beautiful splendor as I type! More pics to come! 

6th grade coil pots

Hooray!  My kiln is fixed!  I was able to fire 1st semester art projects a few weeks ago and get them out of the way so we could start clay with 2nd semester.  My 6th graders are working on coil pots, and they are so beautiful my other grade levels are wanting to make these too! I'll post their projects later, but 7th is making gnomes and 8th is making houses!  I can't wait to see these finished up!

1st grade pumpkin ornaments

I usually do some type of ornament out of model magic or salt dough around Christmas, and this year I will be on maternity leave during that time so I have other things planned for art!  So I thought I'd switch up and do ornaments for Fall!  We created these cute little pumpkins on the first day, then painted them during the next class.  Of course the kids loved making these! :)