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

Digital Painting on Pixlr

So excited to post some amazing digital paintings made by my 7th and 8th grade students. This semester has been the first year we have been able to offer a Graphic Arts and Design class at my middle school and it has been an incredible experience!  

First, on my teacher website, students selected a high resolution photograph of an famous painting. Then, after watching the tutorial video on my website, students began their creations in pixlr editor. I love how easy this is, and the results are so amazing! Some tools such a burn, dodge, smudge, and sponge I didn't discuss in my tutorial video, but they are great tools that can help achieve realistic effects.

This is 100% a digital painting! yeah... i know! 

Barcode Re-Design

This was the first project completed by the Graphic Design elective I teach to 7th and 8th graders at McMurray Middle school. It was in incredible project. Find resources at my teacher website. 

Photography Edit Challenge: Color Blind

For this project students used the color replace tool from the online photo editor Pixlr. See video below for tutorial. The project is extremely simple and can offer some astonishing results. 

I allowed students to choose their image, but encouraged a recognizable image from nature. Mainly because the visual impact of this edit challenge is increased when the viewer recognizes the animal or plant that is being manipulated. Black and white animals tend not to work as well as colorful ones, zebras and pandas are not the best when working in pixlr.

I like using pixlr because #1 it's FREE! Photoshop is definitely superior, but so many of the tools, accessories, and filters in pixlr correlate so closely with photoshop if you learn one you can easily understand the other.

Dale Chihuly Recycled Sculptures

For this project students were challenged to create a recycled sculpture inspired by Dale Chihuly. On Day 1, after looking at some images of dale chihuly's glass work, we brainstormed different materials that could apply to this project (other than glass). I gave examples on how to manipulate the materials and think about using them in alternative ways. Some examples included plastic pop bottles, old transparency sheets, wire, tissue paper, newspaper, ribbon, foam, white drawing paper, ripped fabric/canvas, etc.

After day one work time was fairly independent. I would supplement each days lesson with short tutorials and demo new techniques, but for the most part they were made aware of deadlines and led the way.

With all of the materials floating about it can feel chaotic and with the level of independence expected it is necessary to schedule check-ins with students. Having a rubric of expectations was important to make sure all students were aware of the grading criteria. If I were to give any advice to those wanting to attempt a similar project I would say share the rubric on day 2 or three of the project, and hold at least two individual conferences with each student during work time. The one on one conferences act as a critique of sorts where students can ask for and listen to advice.

Foam pink ribbon support with hanging shapes cut from
permanent marker covered plastic transparencies. 

The wide array of results was astounding to me! 

Variety of ribbon hanging from a wire spiral

Looped paper and origami

Tissue paper supported on a wire armature with oil pastel
overhead transparency tendrils hanging below. 

Display in the main office!