LET'S WRAP IT UP

SLAB WRAPS

CERAMICS I

clay, glazes, oxides

I use this assignment as a kind of quiz.

I only give the kids one day to do it after a quick demo.

And they do not disappoint.

Step one is to thump and drag their large piece of textured clay.

Here we see senior Nikita Govind getting started outside on the concrete.

In the foreground below are 8th grader Alvin To and junior Eryne Burnett.

Notice how Alvin is moving to step two,

taking his piece of clay and rolling it over a dowel 

to be able to transport it back into the classroom so as not to break it.

(I personally love when cracks happen 

because they bring more interest and critical thinking into the design)

Once back in the classroom they go directly to a blowdryer to heat 

and stiffen the clay so it holds its cylinder shape.

Then they remove it from the dowel,

 overlap sides and score them together.

A bit more blowdrying and up it stands for a really intriguing shape.

I also have them attach a bottom piece of clay so they can use it as a vase for flowers.

8th grader Eugene Ho attached a couple of eyeballs for a really comical form, 

and senior Asha Batra added some delicate flowers to give her piece added interest.

Senior Elijah Ramos ended up with a couple of well placed cracks 

that gives his the feel of a tree morphing into a human.

Super cool and totally unplanned!

And everyone loved how 8th grader Lindsey Chang glazed her wrap.

First she stained it with cobalt carbonate then applied transparent glaze over.

Next she dotted both black and white glaze over that.

Even the inside looked amazing!