Mad Hatter Cup and Saucer * Personal Assessment

Please answer the following questions in your sketchbooks for Friday, March 9

(or early for extra credit!)

1. If there is anything else you need to do to finish your project, please describe what that is:

2. What did you do during the forming process of your cup and saucer that shows the viewer what your word is?

3. What glazes or underglazes will you use to reinforce your concept after your project is fired?

Miss Patterson

Beginning Ceramics

Clay is an ancient medium that began as a means to create functional objects used in everyday life, and has evolved to become one of the most beautiful forms of artistic expression. In this class, you will have the opportunity to explore your creativity through the form and function of ceramics. I encourage you to take risks and develop your personal style throughout the semester.

In this class, we will study the beginning techniques of pinching, coiling and slab building. We will also practice beginning skills on the wheel. In addition to the class work, you will have weekly assignments reinforcing the techniques we are studying.

For this class you will need:

a shoebox to store clay and projects in (I have some used ones, or you can get your own)

a notebook to record outside assignments and sketch project ideas (lined, blank, leftover from Foundations…)

three plastic bags to wrap clay in--small trash bags and gallon-sized Ziploc bags work well

soap, hand lotion or tissues to contribute to the classroom

PLEASE BRING THESE ITEMS BY FRIDAY JANUARY 27th!

Grading

Your projects will be graded by the execution of the technique studied, the glaze or finish, and your written feedback on the grading sheet. You are responsible for any assignments written on the board, so check it daily! Your overall grade will be a combination of your projects, outside assignments, and effort.

Cleanup

Keeping this room clean is a matter of safety. Each artist is responsible for their own workspace as well as a weekly studio job, which will help with the general maintenance of the studio space. Completion of your cleanup jobs will factor into your effort grade.

Expectations

*You will show up on time and remain in class until the bell rings. If you need to leave, tell me. Lining up at the door before the bell shows me that you have extra time to do more cleaning!

*You will work on projects throughout the class, and clean up well every day. Your effort grade is heavily based upon everyday work habits, so make them good. No non-enrolled students are allowed in the room during class time.

*No food or drink in the room. It is unhealthy to eat in this room due to the nature of the materials we use, and this also avoids messes in the workspace.

*No Ipods or cell phones during class. This is a school rule as well as my own rule—these devices are distracting and antisocial, making it difficult for me to teach and for you to learn.

*Respect the kilns! They are almost always running, and they get very hot. Please be careful when bringing work into the kiln room

*Respect each other. Remember the Golden Rule? Your language and attitude create the atmosphere in our classroom, and make it a comfortable place to be. If you can speak in a respectful way and manage your time well while you are in this class, you will do well this semester.

Artist Study * Beginning Ceramics Final

For this assignment, you will find a ceramic artist whose work you are particularly drawn to…look online, in books or magazines for inspiration. The artist can be contemporary, meaning they are alive and creating ceramic art today, or they can be from any point in history.

Print out or photocopy at least two images of your chosen artist’s work. These photos will be passed in with your biography, and they can be black and white.

Please answer the following questions about your chosen ceramic artist:

1. who is your artist -important dates: birth, death (if applicable), when they were creating artwork, where they are from, where they work(ed)

2. what specific techniques do they use? types of clay/glazes, type of kiln/firing process *hint: when you see a word you do not recognize, ex. “raku”, look it up in Google or Wikipedia and describe that in your paper!

3. why did you choose this artist: what drew you to their work? why do you admire this person, what about your knowledge of ceramics makes them particularly interesting?

4. what connections can you make between this person’s work and your own ceramic work? are the two similar in style, concept, form or finish? or are they very different—and how did the similarities/differences influence your decision to choose this artist in particular?

Please use complete sentences, and type the paper….remember that the content is more important than the length of the paper! *Due Friday, January 13th*

Our next project will be a coil project based on the pottery of Maria Martinez and her son. Maria was a native american potter living in New Mexico and making coil pots for a living. Though she is no longer living, her pottery is world-renowned now, and we can learn a lot from her talent!

*Please watch this video if you will not be in class the first week back in January, as we will be watching it when we get back:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S95t9Z9ev44

LUMINARY MID-POINT SELF-ASSESSMENT

Please answer the following questions in your journals and pass them in by Friday, Dec. 16th

1. What steps have you completed for your luminary project so far?

2. How is your project turning out compared to your sketches? Has anything changed, and how are you dealing with these changes?

3. Which underglazes/overglazes are you thinking about using on your project? What interesting glazing or painting techniques do you plan to try on this project?

Luminary Project Sketches

In preparation for your Luminary Project, you will be doing sketches in your notebook or on the blank page provided in your assignment packet. Please be sure to include all of the following aspects in your sketches in order to receive full credit for the assignment!

1. Write 2-3 sentences describing your dream. Include why you have chosen to represent this dream, and how you will show the viewer what your dream is.

2. Draw your luminary box and color it in! Include details like where you will cut out shapes.

3. Draw each side that you will need to cut out and write the measurements of each. This will make it easier to create a paper template in class.

This assignment is due Friday December 1st, or early for extra credit!

CLASS DISCUSSION: COMPLETED PROJECT

HOMEWORK DUE FRIDAY NOV. 4th

Please answer the following questions (neatly handwritten or typed) in preparation for our group discussion in class on Friday. Be prepared to show your project to the class and give a brief description of your process.

1. Describe the project you have chosen to show to the group: what assignment it was, what forming techniques you used (ex. slabs, slipping and scoring, wheel) what glazes you used etc.

2. What was the most difficult part of making your project? How did you fix this problem?

3. What ceramics techniques did you learn while making this project that you think you will use again?