Handbuilding Ceramics with 4th Graders

This week 4th graders worked with clay. As you can see they love this! 

Last year they learned how to build with coils so this year to build on 

their knowledge we combined a coils with a small pinch pot. 

 Our goal was to create smooth and proportionate pots. 

Everyone began with a simple pinch pot.

While working on our pinch pot I shared that if one closed their eyes they 

will better be able to feel if their pot is even and smooth on all sides.  

They laughed and then they tried it. A lot of them were amazed that 

it really worked! 

After students made a small pinch pot we rolled out some coils.
Students used our fabric to measure a workable length and found
our pinky was the perfect thickness for coils. 

Next students combined the pinch pot with the coils.
They used a fork to score the clay with a fork and used
water to soften the help it stick. 

Gradually students built up the wall of their vessel. 

They were asked to smooth the inside coils together to create a strong wall.
Students found wooden tools helpful in reaching the bottoms. 

Gradually students built up their projects until they were around 6 inches tall.
Stay tune for the final project in a few weeks. 

Do you have any containers to donate? We recycle!

Do you have any clean empty containers just taking up space your house?  We take small yogurt cups, fruit cups, milk caps, and sour cream containers as well as the plastic lids. I bet they would love to make their way to the entrance to the art room. Just put them in the box by the art room door. We'll take it from there!  We use them to hold glue, paper mache, paint, slip for clay, water and small collage materials.  Thank you for recycling and helping us out!  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Creating Beauty Together in the Art Room - A recycled art project 4th Grade

     This fall our school theme is Life Together. With Dale Chihuly, a glass blower, as our inspiration we began 4th grade art with a group recycling project. I could hardly believe the enthusiasm! We discussed how big projects were possible if we worked together. Students quickly compared this to an assembly line (smart cookies that they are!) and everyone volunteered for a job so our work would be accomplished efficiently. Some students removed labels, others washed, and still others others dried. There was a sanding group to help our paint stick and others that were excited to paint.  I did not hear a single complaint about their job and they all were industrious as little bees. A few weeks later we divided up the work again. This time some cut the bottles into spirals and added a wire while the muscle crew bent wire and assembled the project. I hope you enjoy the two beautiful chandeliers that were the result of us doing life together in the art room at Rose Park. 

 

 

Some began by washing all the water bottles that we had collected. 

Others sanded the bottles to created a rough surface so our paint would adhere.

Two groups of students painted the bottles. One group used warm colors and another cool. 

Here we are cutting the sculpture and adding wire. 

 

 

Finally students added the spirals to the wire to assemble it.

Quite beautiful, don't you think?

2nd Graders learn about Frank Stella and practice careful line making.

2nd Graders have been working their way through many American artists this year. We recently tried our hand at active abstract paintings inspired by Jackson Pollock and are now exploring Frank Stella. Unlike Pollock, who loved to explore lines and create active paintings, Stella was more precise in his work and wanted his work to look like it was 3D. This was a great painting style to help us explore color mixing, practice working carefully with our brushes, and to create some interesting lines. In week two we reviewed some of Stella's work and thought more about how it related to what we were doing in class. Students were thoughtful about how to create interesting combinations of their work while assembling their projects. Some even discovered that when they cut their work it had a new look!  How very clever of them!

Here are some images of the Pollock Action Paintings

He was nicknamed "Action Jackson." I am sure
you can understand why after viewing these paintings. 

Even though it seems it's totally random, if you
ask your child what they were
going for they could probably
tell you about the color combinations they or the
type of lines they wanted to create. 

Here are the images that are inspired from Frank Stella. 

I find it inspiring and
think . . . "Yes, these
really are 2nd graders!
capable of so much!"

We found it interesting to notice how our paint trays reflected our
color choices. The patterns and repetition of colors just came!  

Notice how they all have their own style?  I love that! 

We are looking forward to assembling these next time. 

Here we see some of their final projects. 

I love that smile almost as much as I love hearing all their ideas and having them
explore them in class. Today someone asked, "What if it doesn't work?"
I had the joy of sharing that we call that learning. If it doesn't work, you try something
 else the next time. "Oh, okay" they replied. 

(Next time we will hear from our other 2nd grade class).