Meramec Choice Art: Opening the Clay Studio

Welcome to the Clay Studio

Today you will learn about the Clay Studio! We will go over expectations for Set up, Clean up and Studio Time.

What is Clay

Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals. Clays become soft when wet but becomes brittle when dry and hard after firing. It's an art material that comes from the EARTH.

Let's look at how artists work with Clay and learn some Ceramic hand building techniques and process. When you work with clay using your hands it is called Hand Building.

Slab

Roll out clay and cut into shapes. You can cut a Slab. Make marks and texture into the surface. And press and shape the slab into a form.

Use a mold to create a form

Don't make the slab too thin or too thick

Here are a few more examples of SLAB projects

Coil

a long pliable cylinder/roll of clay.

You can get very creative with the way you roll coils into arches, spirals, donuts, twists and braids. You can cut coils into long and short lengths and place the horizontally and vertically.

Coils can be simple or intricate

Some artists like the coils to be visible or be part of their design. Other artists like to smooth away out the coil texture.

Pinch Pot

Pinching is a basic pottery technique, Making a pinch-pot is pressing the thumb into a ball of clay, and drawing the clay out into a pot by repeatedly squeezing and pressing the clay between the thumb and fingers

How about Attaching feet or a handle. Make a lid

Turn that pinch pot upside down--think of the possibilities!

What if you add coils and texture to your pinch pot

Slip and Score

Don't SKIP THE SLIP

Could you combine a COIL, PINCH POT and a SLAB?

Think of SLIP like your CLAY GLUE

Do you notice a clay coil attached to a pinch pot?

Texture

Using tools and materials to press markings into the clay surface.

Drying

clay must dry and be fired to become hard and waterproof. Once fired, water will not soften the clay.

Firing

a KILN is an oven for baking/ firing pottery. It gets hotter than your oven at home.

Things BREAK!

If your clay is too thin or too thick it can break. Slip and Score to make sure attachments stay in place.

Accidents can happen...but lessen the chance of accidents by paying attention and not playing around.

Glazing

Adding color to your fired clay often includes glaze although other materials can be used. Glaze can can be used to color, decorate or waterproof an item.