Pottery Wheel and Painting

We showed up at Claywerks and she showed the kids their pinch pots, completed after their final firing. Then she said they needed to paint their coil pots. Kids and I were not happy. We had planned to do all the painting/glazing at the end, paying for one full day in the studio where they could finish it all. She appeared to be cutting corners as if she didn't want to get the clay out. Two still needed to do figurines and all of them still needed to throw pots on the wheel. I told the kids they needed to paint their coil pots as quickly as possible. THEN she brought out their slab pots, which still had not been fired. They were still green ware. She told them they could paint those using a different glaze. Ethan was too nervous to paint his, as his was pretty precarious as it was and she had already repaired it between our visits, as it had fallen apart already, but would be more stable after firing.

This is Ethan's coil pot. A dragon ... of course.

Evyn's slab pot, which he's being very gentle with as it's green ware, will be a pencil box when completed.
Ian's slab pot was a mouse and cheese figurine and container.
Amber is working on her slab pot, which was a butter dish.
Their completed coil pots.
Amber finally got a turn at the wheel. She seemed to be a bit of a natural at it. I don't know how much the teacher actually spent with her and the completed pot.
Done!
Ethan was on his second time trying to produce something, and Ian was just beginning.
Evyn was working on his figurine. He was making a solid item, and the teacher didn't want him to do that. She wanted it hollow on the inside. Of course, she didn't tell him that.
Ethan's second bowl.
Done (some help from the teacher!).
Ian was doing a great job. I thought it was going to be a cup, but he ended up with a very nice bowl.
Evyn making final touches on his figurine.

Claywerks - Day 3 - Slab Pots and Glazing

The kids were all set to do their slab pots and figurines, but their instructor wanted them to get their first project, the pinch pot, glazed for its second firing in the kiln.
Amber used three or four colors for her pinch pot basket. Here she is cleaning off her tile.
Evyn made geometric shapes on his soup bowl mug. Notice the dip in the lip? Its a place to put his spoon! Very inventive.
Ian's bowl had a frog climbing out of it. He painted as a red-eyed tree frog. Dumpy is coming to life!
Ethan's bowl mug is in the forefront. Deep red interior. All four are now ready for firing.
Evyn is working on his slab pot/box here. He cut out a shape from a sturdy material an, after rolling out his clay, placed the shape on the clay to cut out around it. His plan is to make a pencil container for the classroom table.
Ethan combined the slab pot project with the figurine project. This is the globe portion, figurine, which will be stuffed with newspaper for drying purposes.
Amber decided to do her slab pot as a butter dish. The instructor gave her a couple molds to use. She rolled out her clay and draped it over the molds. The top was refined later in the lesson and also included a very cute idea for lifting the lid!
Ian designed his box a bit small. He's creating his figurine to go with this project. Next week we should see if his design worked. He was going to make holes in his box, but decided the design elements would be done with glaze instead.
This is Ethan's completed project. His slab pot is the triangular portion on the bottom. It supports his figurine, which is an orb or globe. The top was cut out and will be able to hold things inside. The instructor was impressed with the complexity of the design.
A little peak at Amber's butter dish lid. She is gathering up all the leftover clay to put back in the bag to be kept moist.
A little peek into Ian's creation. Can you figure out what he's making?
Evyn's box. He considered putting it on balls for feet, but decided against it. He also considered putting the balls together to be a snowman. He went with a more simplistic approach to his construction and will do the design details in the glazing.

Coil Pots and the Wheel at Claywerks

Last week the kids were given homework to look at different types of coil pots. They were to notice how the pot could be made with coils, but how at the end it didn't have to LOOK like it was made with coils. However, all the kids' designs retained their coil look. Ian decided to make a coiled cobra multi-purpose vessel. Here he is working on his cobra head.

Of course, Ethan went with a dragon. He had a little help from the Claywerks owner who is teaching their classes.

Evyn is designing a salsa bowl with a snake head on top. Ian helped him form the head of the snake, but he did all the fine-tuning.

Every time I tried to get a photo of Amber working on her pot, the lady was doing the work on it, so I never got one of Amber. This is Amber's coil cup, complete with handle and twisted-braid top. In case you can't tell, this cup is meant for milk.

Now a quick lesson on the wheel. The morning started with the instructor saying they were going to do figurines, but the kids had been told to do the coil pot research, so after she did her talk on figurines and announced they would get turns on the wheel with one-on-one instruction, she changed tracks and put them to work on the coil pots. It was a bit confusing in the beginning. At any rate, they finally got their chance to learn about the wheel. She did a demonstration, showing them how to throw the clay, how to center, and then how to make the hole in the middle and draw up the pot. Unfortunately, I didn't realize they were all getting a chance at the wheel until after three of them were finished and Ian was sitting down.

Ian did fairly well. He had an uncentered piece of clay thanks to his siblings, but was making it work.

Looks professional, huh?

Still lots of work to do. They still have a slab pot and figurines to do, as well as glazing and painting of their works of art. We may have to go back for that part, but not sure. Two classes left to do it all, and possibly more wheel work.

Pinch Pots at Claywerks

Last October we bought four Groupons for Claywerks, knowing the boys had a Pottery Merit Badge for Boy Scouts. We finally had a chance to call and set up the dates to work at the studio. So, now, for the next four Tuesdays, we'll be at Claywerks in Bremerton from 11:30-1:30. The woman used their worksheets for the beginning part of the class and gave a fantastic talk about pottery, types of clays, how to tell the difference in them, glazes, firing, kilns, wheels, scoring and attaching clay, and much more. I wasn't allowed to stay in the back area with the kids, so I sat in the front part of the studio, eavesdropping, sneaking in now and then to take photos. Here she has given them each a chunk of clay and they have beaten it on the table to get the air bubbles out. They are about to embark on the makings of their own pinch pots.
Ian was very meticulous with his pot, making sure the walls all around were of an even thickness.
The owner of Claywerks helped Evyn out as he had some thin spots and she showed him out to re-pinch and move the clay around some more to make the walls even.
Amber is using one of the tools she handed out, a wooden kitchen spatula. Wooden spoons and spatulas were the preferred tools of the afternoon. They are used to tap out the clay against your hand, which is on the inside of the pot, to ensure an even thickness around.
Ethan is using a wooden spoon and tapping out the sides of his pinch pot.
Another tool is used for smoothing out the inside of the pot.
Ethan also smooths out his pot.
The owner helps Amber with the inside of her pot. Amber's pot, if you notice, has a flange off the top. She made hers differently from the boys.
Next they were shown how to do handles. Ethan and Evyn wanted handles on their noodle bowls, as that was what they decided to make. The owner assisted Amber in putting one on top of her pot and it became a basket.
This is Evyn's completed noodle bowl. He even has a lip (right side next to his thumb) to rest his spoon. A very unique design element he thought of all on his own.
Ian has a little critter poking its head out of his cup (or is it a bowl?). The owner helped him craft the little frog. He is signing his piece of artwork.

Next week they will be able to go back and put finishing touches on their pots. She told Ian he would be able to manipulate and work with his little frog a bit more if he desired. Their homework? To look up various types of coil pots ... guess what they get to make next week?