Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Houses & Masks & Robots... oh my! Work in Progress - Ceramics 2/3

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Stop Motion Video - Throwing on the Potter's Wheel

These stop motion videos were created using phone cameras and applications. (Frameographer). The video shows the process of throwing a cylinder, which is formed into a vase-like vessel.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Potter's Wheel - Ceramics 1

The Ceramics 1 students have begun throwing on the potter's wheel. They are focusing on centering the clay and throwing a six inch cylinder. Some students have advanced to bowls, vases, and mugs.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Students are creating 6”x6” faux mosaic tile using any theme of their choice. The tile must lie flat and have accurate measurements. They may choose another shape, however it must be comparable to 6” x 6”. The faux mosaic must be divided into at least 10 sections and be ¼ inch thick. All surfaces must be covered in texture.

These are some examples shown in class as well as a tutorial from Ceramic Arts Daily.

Between the Lines: Grouting Tiles, Mosaics, and Tile Installations for a Visually Pleasing Effect

Sample Image

Sample Tile

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

The Burlington Exchange - Raku firing with Northern Burlington County Regional High School

Raku is an advanced glaze firing technique which uses the reduction process. In most high schools it is the art teacher who typically fires an electric kiln. Students are rarely involved in this process because it is executed over many hours during the school day. What makes the Raku practice innovative is that ceramic students are able to execute the entire process, and are present at the moment the pots emerge from the firing to critique the results. This is an exciting and enriching opportunity for high school students, and this experience is inspiring for all who witness it, due to the immediacy of this firing process and the spectacular results typical of Raku pottery. The ceramic student, who is a creator of Raku pottery, leaves the firing experience with an enthusiasm for many exciting potentialities for future artwork.
This year, Ms. Kirchner, ceramics teacher from Northern Burlington County Regional High School, participated in a firing with her advanced class. These students took a field trip to BTHS and were paired up with ten of our Ceramics 2/3 students. BTHS students helped facilitate a Raku firing along with myself and Ms. Kirchner. This provided the advanced Ceramics students the opportunity to take a leadership role in the creation and teaching of Raku ceramic art, as well as demonstrate their understanding of the Raku process.