Working with clay. Making a picture frame.
This week’s art workshop saw us trying our hands at clay. I’ve never had the opportunity to work with clay ever – so, it’s really my first time.
Having just completed a month of prac, I found this art lesson really refreshing. The art lessons in the school that I was at did not leave the students’ much room for creativity. Everyone had to follow guidelines, every student painted and drew out the “same” picture, a picture which the teacher had set as the “standard” for each student to reach.
With this clay activity, I felt that students would be given free reign to express their creativity, and at the same time, also develop motor skills. We had to knead the clay to get the air bubbles out, pound it and shape it into a picture frame. As an introduction for students, we could perhaps analyse examples of clay and sculpting and have a talk about how ceramics are used by people (practical daily use & artistic expression).
Having done that, a teacher could give clear instructions.
Steps:
1. (This step is optional) Have students draw their intended design on a piece of paper first.
2. Students to put on art smocks. Retrieve a board. Hand out small blocks of clay.
3. Throw and knead clay on board to remove air bubbles in the clay.
4. Explain why we need to remove air bubbles – so that when we put it in the kiln, it doesn’t explode and harm other students’ work.
5. Roll out clay with a rolling pin to the thickness of their finger.
6. Use tools to mark out, shape, cut out and carve their photo frame.
7. Lay out the completed work to dry.
8. Fire clay at a local high school or let them air-dry.
9. Paint with acrylic paint.
Some of the previous cohorts’ finished product. Those were great ideas to help give me a direction for my own photo frame. It’s important to have a ready-done model to show the class before they begin.