Low Relief Tiles

Students created low relief tiles that involved foreground, middle ground, and back ground while in some way incorporating overlapping. 

Slabs were first rolled out to a 1/2" thickness and then cut to a 6"x6" square. Students then transferred a sketch they made two classes earlier onto the clay surface. 

Over night I let the tiles sit in between two drywall boards to help them reach a leather hard state quickly. 

For the next couple work days students started in their background removing clay. Once the background was cleared they moved onto middle ground and the finally the foreground. 

Final details were added on the last days.

For glazing we used watercolor underglaze amaco paints and coated with a layer of clear transparent glaze. 

Salt and Pepper Shakers

 So excited to share these beauties! Like most ceramics projects, the day I unloaded the kiln felt like Christmas! Every time I removed a shelf I got the goosebumps. all of these sets of salt and pepper shakers were made by 6th, 7th, and 8th graders using a double pinch pots method.

Day One: I started by briefly discussed and demonstration the double pinch pot method for creating a closed container. We then looked as some samples from my teacher website of various plastic and ceramic s&p sets.  The students sketched four ideas and chose one to try first. 

Day 2 & 3: Finalized sketches and began creating pinch pots. 

Tips: when creating two pinch pots of the same size start with two spheres of the same size. Create each pinch pot, one representing a hollow half of a sphere. Then, after placing a small support of newspaper on the inside, attach the pots together. (I had the students make a small coil and add it to the welded seam since we can only attach from the outside. 

Day 4-6: Add elements to the pinch pot spheres. Students made trays if their base was round or they finished early.

Pacman

Last day: students release the trapped air by making an opening for the cork on or rear the bottom. Next create holes on top for the salt and pepper to come out (we used needle tools). I ordered mini corks from amazon (100 for around $8, not bad)

Peas in a Pod

These were the shinning center piece for our winter art show! A crowd pleaser for sure!

Lone Minion (the other was still getting glazed) 

Penguin Party 

Pair of Turtles

Roll the Dice

Ninja and Throwing Star

Egg and Dinosaur

Volcano and Mountain

A whole sushi set!

Beautiful swimming sea turtles