Ceramics Class Offered at East Wilkes High School! Spring 2011

Ceramics Course Syllabus and Parent/Student/Tracher Contract:Ceramics Syllabus- JTG 2011.doc

Clay study Guide: Clay Vocabulary Study Guide- b.doc

WEEK April 4-8

Ceramics: Decorative and Functional Ceramics Project.docx

Ideas: Decorative and Functional Ceramics Examples.docx

Study Guide: Clay Vocabulary Study Guide- b.doc

The triple treat! Students during this period of time will create three ceramic projects. We will break into groups and make each of the following three projects.

A) Architecture Project

          Project Parameters: Architecture Project s2010Ceramics.doc

B) Sculpt Your Shoe     

          You will need to bring your shoe from home to sculpt.

C) Gargoyle Animal

          Resources: Greenman, Tree Spirits, & Gargoyles.ppt

          See also the Dusk gallery off the front page for student green men projects. These gargoyle animals are not green men, they should spout water in some way. Look to the white board for more direction and information concerning size parameters for this project.

WEEK March 7- March 17

And we continue to work on clay. The projects are slow to develop.

March 15th- Why is it important? : The Ides of March.docx

WEEK February 22-March 4

Much sickness has been experienced during this period of time. Students are beginning to return to school and finalize missed and late projects. Progress reports were to go out during this time, however with the poor attendance and straggling assignments those have been postponed in this class until March 1-4.  

WEEK February 14-18

Our week dawns with the celebration of Valentines Day. One of the most expensive days of the year.

Saint Valentine

Saint Valentine was a catholic priest who got caught marrying people, so the story goes. He was thrown into jail and tried to show the Roman emperor Claudius II the ways of the Lord. In response he had his head chopped off on February 14th in 269 AD. He’s considered a martyr.  

He is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travelers, and young people. He is often pictured with birds and roses.

WEEK February 7-11

Time marches on! Technique and textural elements bring the work to life. Students are encouraged to resist the temptation to rest or socialize as clay waits for no man! We must move forward- trivet was to be a quick project not a mountain on which to die!

WEEK January 31- February 4

Trivet's oh how we love them! Great for the hot pot.

Week January 25-28

Ceramics is the use of clay to create. This course will deal with the use of handbuilt clay items. The first project is a trivet, 4 piece interlocking design. Student can choose various motifs for the purpose of their design. The application of art elements and principals should be considered when developing the project.

Next week: Decorative and Functional Ceramics Project.docx

Trivet examples: http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=imghp&q=trivet&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=g9g-m1&aql=&oq=&safe=active

Concerning Trivet: Could it tell a story? Does it half to be just functional? Why would a person want a trivet? Are trivets collectable? Would a person find esthetic value in such a fuctional item? Why? How would the item be displayed? Where would your work look best displayed? How does the design work of this item truely differ from that of a paper project? How do you feel the process to be simular, how is it different? Do artist cheapen their work when they display their craft on functional items? Why or why not? What criticism would you have for your own work with this project?

And here it begins!  

Ceramics Class Offered at Wilkes Central High School! Spring 2010 

WEEK February 22- March 26, 2010

The triple treat! Students during this period of time will create three ceramic projects. We will break into groups and make each of the following three projects.

A) Architecture Project

          Project Parameters: Architecture Project s2010Ceramics.doc

B) Sculpt Your Shoe     

          You will need to bring your shoe from home to sculpt.

C) Gargoyle Animal

          Resources: Greenman, Tree Spirits, & Gargoyles.ppt

          See also the Dusk gallery off the front page for student green men projects. These gargoyle animals are not green men, they should spout water in some way. Look to the white board for more direction and information concerning size parameters for this project.

Ceramics Midterm Exam will feature a clay test, materials collection (based on your participation in brining in the needed items for ceramic making as well as texture tools and objects for ceramic decoration), and clean up notes from a daily log (you must leave the room and your own space in good order each day). Participation, team work and depth of knowledge in ceramics is our focus.

WEEK February 1- 19, 2010

This weeks project has to do with quilting. Quilts are an American traditional craft and has been passed down from generation to generation. Once believed to be only for females, quilting has become big business in antique circles bringing top dollar in auctions world wide. Our class is creating a work of public art, based on a quilt design in the sytle of decorative ceramics. Our creation will be installed in the new Math and Science building here on the campus. The quilt will feature 48 hand made ceramic tiles surrounded by 82 hand made framing tile strips. 24 of the tiles will have traditional motifs gleed from local, regional and popular quilting patterns, many of which date back to the 18th century. The other 24 tiles will feature bas relief and high textured contemporary tiles that will seek to attract student interest and pop culture. The ceramic quilt will be glazed throughout and will feature a wooden frame. We hope this will be an attractive addition to Wilkes Central High from many years to come.  This time period has been full of snow days and delays and things that hinder one from finishing a project on time. However we move on, and as many double up on this assignment in order to have enough time to glaze and refine the images, we plan to install finished work during the week of March 1.

Resources: Ceramic Quilt Project Power Point Intro.pptx

Photos courtesy of Mrs. Amy Miller (who's grandmother designed these into an actual quilt)

WEEK Janaury 25-29, 2010

Our week will feature the end of the first project and it's critique. Our group will evaluate based on Feldman's Art Criticism model. We will also start another project based on a Ceramic Quilt idea. So far everyone has been very creative and expressive in their work. Good job!

 Falling Water, Frank Lloyd Wright

WEEK January 19-22, 2010

We start our week with a leg up on project creation. Last week delivered us with concept drawings and multiple images with which to get started on the Decorative and Functional Project. Students will learn the process to care for clay, condition clay, process clay and transform clay into works of art. Our time will be concentrated on the process of joining clay bodies together and the proper use of clay tools and equipment. Creativity is the only limits for where this theme based project will end. Time management is of utmost concern as this project and all it's parts comes to a close on Friday, January 22, 2010.

 Stained glass, Frank Lloyd Wright

WEEK January 13-14, 2010

It is hard to fully describe how excited I am about this new course offering here at Wilkes Central. Our school has not recently offered this class and it promises to be a fun time to learn, create and explore this media in art. As we get the semester started there is always a few items of paperwork that must be dealt with. This week we will begin with a Decorative and Functional Project, this will highlight the use of a theme throughtout a series of projects that would otherwise not be connected. A collection of 5 identical coat hooks, a flower vase, a soup bowl, and a cup. Each has a decorative yet functional use in our society. We often overlook the more ususal daily items as purely functional with only a glance at their construction or decoration. Through this project students will become more in tune with the creative focus that ceramic artist give to the aesthetic value of life. Sketches are due with research on 1-14-2010, we start in clay next week.

Here are copies of vital information that you will need:

Ceramics Course Syllabus and Parent/Student/Tracher Contract: Ceramics Syllabus- JTG.doc