Course number:
Title:
Credits
Faculty:
ART 212-001/002
Beginning Ceramics
3 hours
W. Lowell Baker
Office phone xxx-xxxx
Home phone xxx-xxxx (for emergency use)
Art office xxx-xxxx (to leave a message)
E-mail: WBAKER@woodsquad.as.ua.edu
Course description:
This is an introductory level course designed to offer the student an opportunity to explore ceramic media
and processes. This course is directed to art majors/minors with little or no experience in ceramics.
Through lectures and demonstrations as well as students accomplishing a variety of hands-on assignments,
students will be given the opportunity to develop a basic understanding of ceramic materials, forming
techniques, and rudimentary studio practices.
Textbook:
Hands in Clay by Speight and Toke is highly recommended, but not required. There is a copy in the
reading room.
Tools and Materials:
Regular clay and glaze materials, as well as a variety of studio equipment, are supplied to the student
through lab fees. Each student will be required to purchase a personal tool kit from the Supe Store or other
sources. A dedicated binder used to hold your handbook, syllabus and loose leaf unlined sheets to
serve as your sketchbook is required. This binder will be turned in at the end of the semester and graded
as a portion of your final grade. You are expected to bring your sketchbook and tools to class every day.
Lockers:
Each student will be assigned to a locker. Please purchase a combination lock for your locker and use it.
The department will not be responsible to lost items.
Studio maintenance:
The Ceramics Lab is a community space that is shared by a number of students in at least three different
sections. You will be expected to clean up your work area at the completion of each class. Work in
progress will be placed in the appropriate storage area. I will, from time to time, encourage you to work on
large pieces. I realize that these will be difficult to move. In those cases I will grant special permission to
leave individual work out. Please understand this is a unique and special privilege.
As needed, the entire class will cease work to clean the studio. Please cooperate in this process with energy
and a positive attitude. Those students who are absent on these clean up days will be given individual
cleanup assignments upon their return.
Please understand there are many irritating and toxic materials in the Ceramics Lab. Please let me know if
you have any special health requirements. These might include, but not be limited to muscular-skeletal
problems, contact dermatitis, respiratory problems, etc. This information will help me protect your health.
Grading:
This class will follow the University of Alabama Grading System. Your final grade will be weighted as
follows:
Attendance
25%
Creative work
50%
Class participation and tests
25%
Grades for creative work may be improved by repeating the project. Your sketchbook, and class notes will
be turned in as a part of your final project.
Attendance in this class is mandatory. Each class period will present new information through
demonstrations and lectures. Most of the specific information I present is not readily available in a single
textbook. It is impossible to hone the skills required for this class without regular attendance and
individual assistance.
The departmental policy of the Department of Art is: Each student is allowed three absences
(excused or unexcused) during the semester. Any additional absences will diminish your grade based
on creative work and tests by 1/3 letter grade. I expect that you will be in class on time and remain
for the entire class period. Attendance at all critiques is required. Three tardies or leaving early three
times will be counted as one absence.
Your work will be graded on quality as well as quantity. All assignments must be completed to the best of
your ability and turned in for grading. You will be credited for extra work based on its quality. Not all
work will be fired. Save all assignments for critiques and grading.
Lab use:
I will make arrangements for the Ceramics Lab to be open from 8-5 M-F. The Lab can be opened at other
times on request. There is a "Help Phone" in the Ceramics Lab, but the location is somewhat isolated.
Please use caution when entering and leaving the Lab after dark.
Faculty office hours:
My office hours will be posted. I arrive at 8:00 Monday through Friday. I normally remain until about
5:00. You have my phone numbers and E-mail, so I shouldn't be too hard to find. I check my E-mail daily
and I return all calls and messages. My personal preference is E-mail.
Critiques
There will be a minimum of three group and individual critiques during the semester. I strongly encourage
you to seek out individual consultations concerning your work. I will make an effort to visit with you
individually during each class period but you need to understand that I encourage you to seek out individual
help. Please have your sketchbook available as we talk. This will help us communicate visual ideas more
clearly.
Course Calendar:
January:
9
Studio orientation
Draw your ideas for assignments 1-3 each on a single page of your sketchbook.
Have these drawings ready for the next class meeting.
14
Wedging and slab roller demonstration, begin Assignment #1.
16
Work day assignment #1, Ceramics handout
21
MLK
23
Assignment #2
28
Work Day
30
Work day, draw your ideas for assignments 4-6, each on a single page in your
sketchbook.
February
4
Pinch pot demonstration, Drawing and conceptualizing, Assignment #3.
6
Drape form casting, slip demonstration, ceramics handout discussion, assignment #3.
You must bring your object to make your mold.
11
General work day, assignments #1-4 continue casting and cleaning drape forms. Coil
demonstration.
13
Work day, glazing demonstration, continuation of assignment #1-4
18
Firing lecture, demonstration of drape form construction, slip demonstration, drawing
and conceptualizing, assignment #5 test review if you wish.
20
TEST, continuation of assignment #5
25
Coil demonstration, drawing and conceptualization, assignment #6, continuation of
assignment #5 and #6.
27
Continuation of assignment #5 and #6 Grading completed of assignments 1-4 and
sketchbook. Draw assignments 7-10.
March
4
Wheel throwing demonstration, continuation of assignment #6
6
General work day
11
Wheel throwing demonstration, finish assignment #6
13
Wheel throwing demonstration, wheel assignment #8, assignment #9, assignment #10
18
Wheel throwing demonstration, general work day for assignment3 #7-9
20
Work on wheel and redo assignments #1-6
Spring Break 25-29
April
1
Grading of assignments 4-6 and sketchbook.
3-26
Lab, continued demonstrations and lectures as needed, general work days for assignments
6-10 and extra credit problems.
April 26
Last day for wet clay
May 2
Last day to glaze
May 1-3
Sign up for cleanup hour. Failure to help clean for one hour will result in an I grade
for the course.
Final:
Your final will be on the day and time assigned by the university. Assignments 7-10.
Any work you wish to have reevaluated will be graded at that time. You must
identify pieces as to the assignment number. You must turn inyour sketchbook at
the time of your final.
Ceramics 212
Assignment #1 Tile (Raku fired)
Design and make four 5" X5" X5/8" thick tiles. These tiles will have a single scraffito and monochromatic
slip design that extends to all tiles.
All work must be signed with your last name and an initial before it is fired.
Assignment #2. (Raku fired)
Construct a quick slab candle holder with a pierced shade.
The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize the student with the slab roller and other methods of
producing soft slabs of clay. It is also designed to get the student to work with clay quickly and directly.
You may wish to make several of these vessel forms and select the better one to keep. You may recycle
your clay by carefully removing all newspaper and make a new slab out of the clay. If the clay has
dried beyond the plastic stage you may place it in the recycle tub. A note on recycling clay: Do not
put anything but clay in these tubs. Be careful to remove all tools and foreign materials. Reuse all
clay that is suitably plastic to work or return it to the clay bin. Clay that is too wet or too dry gets recycled
in the clay barrels. Any water containing slip should be placed in the recycle tub. Do not pour slip or
clay down the sinks.
Begin with a drawing or a series of drawings of your ideas for a finished form. These forms should be
generally circular in cross section. The forms will be tall and skinny. Be certain that your form will stand
on it's own. If the center of gravity exceeds the base it will fall over.
Roll out or throw a slab of clay. This slab must be 3/8 of an inch thck.
Wrap a tube or other form with a number of layers of newspaper.
Cut the slab so it can be rolled around the newspaper-covered form.
Roll the slab around the form and attach the ends of the slab. This will form a tube.
Carefully remove the form and the newspaper.
Make a bottom for your lantern out of a separate piece of clay.
The bottom of your candle lantern will not be attached to the cylinder but it should have a ledge or
journal to help you center the cylinder on the base
Once your cylinder is suitably hard for carving you should pierce it with a decoration for the light
to shine through. As you do this you will want to consider the diameter and height of candle that
you will be using in this holder.
Sign your name to the piece. Last name and initial will be fine but initials alone will not do.
Place the finished piece on your shelf to dry. If you have attached any appendages to your
candleholder you will want to dry it very carefully
If the form you have produced is simple and you do not wish to make any additions to it you can allow it to
dry in the open air. If you wish to continue working with the form or it contains appendages which might
dry unevenly, it you should cover it carefully with a plastic sheet.
Technical note: As clay dries it shrinks due to the loss of water. As it is fired it goes through a cycle of
expanding and shrinking. This change in size of a ceramic piece will be the cause of the majority of
problems you have with clay. Careful attention to the change in size of a piece and regulating the causes of
these changes will greatly increase your success rate with clay.
Appendages dry more quickly than the solid body of a piece. The difference between the size of the dried
portion and the wetter portion will cause warping and cracking.
Ceramics 212
Assignment #3 (Raku Fired)
Make a closed container in the form of fruit from two or more pinched forms. This piece will be more than
6" in one direction.
The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize the student with the process of making a hollow form by
pinching a solid lump of clay. The student will then connect two or more pinched forms to produce a
hollow closed form. This form will then be altered with additional attached forms and surface decorations
to imply a specific fruit..
Begin with a series of drawings. You must come to class with pictures of fruit as well as plan and
elevation drawings of the fruit you want to make. You might want to consider historical works of
fruit, vegetables as the subject of ceramic art. The Moche of Peru are a good historical starting
place.
Start your piece with a solid lump of carefully wedged clay.
By pressing your thumb in the center of the clay and squeezing your thumb and fingers carefully
you may produce a hollow cup like form.
The form may be closed by ringing your fingers around the opening and squeezing or holding the
opening with both hands, about an inch apart, and pushing your hands toward each other.
Continue this process until you have a form of the appropriate shape with walls of an even and
appropriate thickness. Appropriate thickness, means thinner than a half of an inch.
Once the first form is completed cover it and set it aside then make additional parts for your
finished piece.
If a third or forth piece is required these should be made and set aside to stiffen.
Connect the pinched forms by scratching the joining surfaces and adding a drop of water to the
scratched areas.
Once the form is enclosed the air inside will allow you to handle the piece as if it were a ball. The
resistance of the trapped air makes the piece much easier to work. Please note the seam will be the
weakest portion of the form. Make certain your joints are carefully crafted.
Finish the surface and add appropriate appendages.
Some things to think about: This piece will logically be small. The deepest form you can make with
typical pinch forming is the length of your thumb. You can increase the size of the piece by combining a
number of pinched forms or by placing your fist in a lump of clay and troweling the walls of the form.
Careful monitoring of the dryness and plasticity of the individual pieces will be important in making this
piece.
Ceramics 212
Assignment #4
5 Slab Drape form footed bowls
The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize the student with a variety of methods to make and use
drape formed slabs of clay. The drape formed sections will be dried to a soft leather hard stage and then a
base will be connected. Each student will bring to class two small objects from which plaster molds can be
made.
Begin with a series of drawings. From those drawings we will develop or find the appropriate
form on which to drape your clay.
Select the appropriate form and pour your mold. As your mold is drying move on to the next
assignment.
Roll out a slab of clay
Drape the slab over or in the form, using appropriate separating material.
Allow the slab to stiffen appropriately. Remember to carefully consider shrinkage as the slab dries
on the form.
Remove the stiffened slab from the form and attach a base.
Produce 5 separate forms to complete this assignment.
1.apply painted colored slip decorations to one,
2.slip and scriffito to another,
3.impressed designs to another,
4.slip inlays to another and
5.finally slip trailing to the last.
Some suggestions: Roll out a slab of appropriate thickness. Most of you will not require a slab over 3/8"
thick. Think small. Drape forming has many applications to larger work that you can explore later.
Handling large forms will be difficult and frustrating. I want you to get the basic techniques down now;
you can expand on them later. Work as directly as you can with the clay. Let the material exhibit it's
plasticity.
In this assignment you have been given the additional component of color. How are you going to use color
to enhance the piece? Consider this work a three-dimensional painting. As you apply slips look at the
techniques of sgraffito, stenciling, brushing, slip trailing and inlays or niriagi. Most of these techniques are
done on leather hard clay. Avoid overwetting the clay when you apply slips.
Ceramics 212
Assignment #5
Tooth brush holder with extruded cup. (Stoneware fired)
The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate how to work with slabs of clay that are nearing the leather
hard stage, as well as using the extruder. Attaching slabs and forms in the leather hard stage is a common
forming technique in ceramics. Due to the problems discusses concerning shrinkage in the first assignment
this process must be done carefully. Drying must also be carefully monitored to prevent cracking. Please
think of the connecting seams in your piece in two ways; they can be hidden or decorative.
Begin with a series of drawings.
Select the best idea or ideas.
Prepare a slab and dry it to the desired hardness. Your slab must be made the day or class period
prior to the construction of the piece.
Slabs may be rough cut in the wet stage and then trimmed more accurately as you assemble the
piece.
Cut the slabs to the appropriate size. At this point you must decide if you will be using butt joints,
lap joints or mitered joints; or a combination of joints. As you cut the pieces the thickness of the
clay must be considered.
Scratch or comb the adjoining surfaces.
Apply small amounts of water or slip to the scratched areas.
Allow the surfaces to rest for a few minutes.
Press slabs together at the joints.
Add appropriate reinforcement on the inside of the form. Small forms will not require a gusset.
Larger forms will require some internal support. You may choose to paddle the joints lightly to
assure a good connection.
Complete the form and make an appropriate cup by extruding a length of tubing and attaching a
bottom and handle.
You might want to consider thinning the form or adding textural interest as it dries by cutting
away areas with a knife or a Surform rasp. The surface can be scraped and textured. Slip
decorations and inlays may also be added.
Things to think about: The cup and holder should work as a complete piece. Carefully consider the size of
the piece.
The cup will likely be used as a drinking vessel. It must feel good in your hand and as it touches your
mouth? Is the weight of the cup appropriate? The wall of the cup should be about 1/4" thick.
Look at the way the piece hangs on the wall or sits on the counter. Does it rest lightly or heavily on the
surface?
The surface decoration should support the entire piece. I will ask you to clearly explain your intent as you
complete the work. You will need to monitor the drying of this piece very carefully.
Ceramics 212
Assignment #6
Coil building
The purpose of this assignment is to learn how to build forms in a variety of coiling techniques. Coiling is
one of the most ancient of forming techniques.
Coil work is done by making coils or ropes of clay. This can be done by rolling the coil, extruding the coil
or cutting the coil. Each type of coil has its specific properties. For the purpose of this assignment I am
going to extrude your coils, but I want you to have some experience rolling coils too. Pay careful attention
to the demonstration. I will show you some simple tricks that will make your coiling much easier.
Once the coil is made, the piece is begun by placing a small base slab on a flat surface or in a shallow bowl.
The coils must be carefully joined by pinching and dragging clay from one coil across to the next. You will
find many of the skills you learned while making your pinch piece will be used in your coil piece. To make
the piece wider simply place the new coil slightly to the outside of the last coil; to make the piece narrower
place the next coil slightly to the inside of the last coil and so on. You can stack several coils up before you
begin joining them. Join all your coils carefully. Failure to join coils will result in cracks in the finished
work.
You will notice that the piece will reach a height were it will no longer support its own weight. Stay "tuned
into your work". Before the piece reaches the point of failure stop, cover the rim of the piece and allow air
to circulate around the bottom section so it can stiffen. On a very large piece the bottom may be close to
bone dry while you are still adding plastic clay to the top. You may find it necessary to scratch and
moisten the top coils of a piece when you start working on it after a period of time. Monitoring of the
drying of a coil piece is probably more critical than in any other forming technique. You may have as
much as thirty feet of connections in one 8" piece.
Begin with a series of drawings. I want this piece to be exactly 6" at the widest point and 8 inches
tall. I encourage you to think of these works figuratively as well as look at historical containers.
Roll out coils. You might want to experiment with large coils and small diameter coils. I will
demonstrate both in class. Your choice of coil diameter is very much a personal one, but it will be
dictated to some extent by the design of your piece.
Begin by making a slab base. Be certain your base is proportional to the desired finished height of
the piece.
Connect the coils.
Begin stacking coils to form the sides of the piece.
Connect the coils.
Monitor drying and the strength of your piece carefully. If you find you have periods of time
when your work is stiffening I will expect you to be busy working on other ceramics assignments.
Just because your work is drying does not mean you cannot be involved in working in another clay
project. You can force dry portions of your piece by using a hair dryer, a small torch or a heat
lamp, but be very careful.
Ceramics 212
Assignment #7
Wheel throwing: Show me five cut cylinders that are taller than wide and have flat even bottoms and even
walls of an appropriate thickness. You may make additional cylinders to fire if you have time.
Wheel throwing or as it is traditionally called "turning" in Alabama is a technique that can be used to form
sculptural and utilitarian forms in clay. The result of all forms thrown on the potter's wheel is that the
horizontal cross-section of a piece is generally round and the thickness of the wall in that horizontal section
is relatively even. Wheel thrown forms can be combined and altered to form works that are far removed
from the turned original. Wheel thrown works can also celebrate the symmetry of the technique.
Once you have mastered the potter's wheel as a tool you will be able to decide how you wish to apply the
forms to your work. As you are attempting to gain mastery over the wheel I will insist that you work
toward an even geometry in your work. Most of you will find that learning to use the potter's wheel will
require a great deal of dedication and practice. If you begin by working at the process a step at a time
without any real concern for the finished product you will find you will succeed more rapidly. Do not
move to the next step in the throwing process until the last step is perfect. If you find that you develop any
problems with the piece during the throwing process you will be much better served by throwing the used
clay in the scrap tub and starting over.
Drawing: just for the fun of it this time; draw ten cross-sections of cylinders. They should be
about five inches tall and about three inches wide. The wall and bottom thickness should be about
3/8" thick. It should be even from top to bottom and the walls should be at a ninety-degree angle
to the bottom.
Wedging the clay is very important when you are throwing. The de-airing pugmill will be very
helpful in preparing clay for throwing, but it will not replace wedging. I like to wedge a large
amount of clay and then cut it into the size I wish to throw.
Once the clay is thoroughly wedged it should be pounded into balls.
Collect your tools: Bucket with water (I like slightly warm water), sponge, wooden rib. All you
really need is a bucket of water.
Go to the wheel. Adjust the seat to the height of the wheel head (if you are very short this position
may need to be a little lower) attach the splash pan to the wheel, set out your clay and water so that
you are comfortable, attach a bat to the wheel head.
Begin pushing the flywheel with your right foot to develop a rhythm.
As you feel comfortable with the wheel move the location you kick on the flywheel closer to the
vertical shaft. This will require more energy to move the wheel but it will cause the wheel to
revolve at a faster rate. This is the same thing that happens on your bicycle when you shift gears.
Allow the wheel to spin without kicking. Press your hands down on the right side of the center of
the turning bat. Don't hold them there long they will get quite hot.
Repeat the kicking steps until you feel comfortable. While you are doing this you will need to
breathe deeply and try to focus on the wheel.
Allow the wheel to slow to about 30 rpm ( two revolutions every second). You can slow the
wheel by dragging your left heel on the flywheel. CAUTION: A turning flywheel has a lot of
stored kinetic energy. Be very careful around turning wheels. Never stand on a flywheel. They
can turn and cause you to fall and you can potentially damage the vertical shaft and bearings.
Pick up a ball of clay, focus on the center of the turning bat, throw the ball with some force at the
center of the bat. If the ball is not reasonably centered, stop the wheel, cut it off with a wire and
repeat the steps of throwing the ball on the bat. You will know if the ball is not reasonably
centered if it seems to wobble more than two inches from center as the wheel turns.
Get hands wet with water from your bucket. Drip some water on the turning ball of clay.
Kick the wheel up to its fastest speed.
Lean forward with you head directly over the spinning ball of clay. Your elbows should be on
each thigh.
Cup your hands around the clay. Your right hand should be on the lower right side of the clay and
your left hand should be held with the heel on top of the ball and your left fingers overlapping
your right hand.
Hold your hands in this position and press slightly until you feel the clay is not pushing your
elbows. This will take several attempts. You will need to rewet the clay frequently. Do not push
off of the ball of clay rapidly. This will drive the clay off center.
The clay is centered when you cannot notice any wobble as it turns. Do not go beyond this step
until the clay is centered. If you have to ask if your clay is centered it is probably not.
TO FORM A CYLINDER:
Wet your hands and the clay
Hold the clay like you are centering.
Allow your right thumb to find the center of the rotating ball of clay. While maintaining your left
hand on the clay allow your right hand, wrist and elbow to move upward. Slowly push you right
thumb into the center of the clay. Maintain constant contact with your left hand during this step.
Push your right thumb downward to a point about 3/8" from the bat. Judging this distance will
take some practice. You can measure the thickness of the bottom with a needle tool.
Remove your hands from the turning form. Wet the piece. Place your index and middle finger of
your left hand into the hole in the center of the turning ball. Lock you right hand over your left
and pull slowly and evenly to you. Be cautious to maintain an even distance from the bat. You ar
forming the bottom of the piece at this time.
Cup you left hand over the rim of the short spinning form. Place your right hand across the top of
the thick wall and press downward slowly with your right hand holding the thickness of the wall
with your left hand. This process will form a donut. The clay should be absolutely centered at
this point.
Wet the clay. Place your left index and middle finger in the center of the clay at the bottom to the
right wall. Place your right index and middle finger to the outside of the right wall and touching
the bat.
Press gently inward with your right hand, holding with the left hand. Hold this finger position and
slowly pull both hands toward an imaginary point about six inches above the wheel head. The
outside fingers should remain slightly below the inside fingers. Maintain contact between your
hands as much as you can. Even the slightest touch will help you maintain position and control
over the clay.
Wet the clay and repeat the last step but move to a point about ten inches above the wheel head.
Continue this process moving the imaginary point up slightly with each new pull. When you et to
the rim of the cylinder, maintain your hand position for at least one complete revolution then relax.
Ceramics 212
Assignment #8
Throwing a bowl: Show me five untrimmed bowls that are at least four inches in diameter. The curve
should be even and the bottom of an appropriate thickness. These will not be fired. Throw five more
bowls and trim them. These will be fired.
I will ask you to consider bowls as an entirely different form from a cylinder. A cylinder has a flat bottom
and begins with straight walls. A bowl begins from a central point and expands upward and outward in a
continuous curve. That curve may be changed at any point as it sweeps toward the rim of the bowl. A
bowl is designed to be looked into while a cylinder is designed to be viewed, for the most part, from the
side.
Draw some cross-sections of bowl forms. Draw bowls that are open and draw bowls that are more
closed. Consider the foot of a bowl. How does the bowl rest of the table or how does the bowl
seem to spring of float from the surface?
Refer to the assignment of throwing a cylinder. Everything remains the same to the point where it
says: TO FORM A CYLINDER.
From that point place your right hand on top of the ball and your left hand over it.
Find the center of the ball with your right thumb.
Gently press your right thumb down into the rotating ball as you did with the cylinder. However
with a bowl you will normally allow for a thicker bottom.
Place left hand inside the form and the right hand outside the form. Press gently outward with the
left hand holding with the right hand and pull outward and upward.
Maintain the distance between your fingers as you pull. When you get to the rim of the bowl
maintain the hand position for at least one complete revolution of the wheel, then relax your hold
on the clay.
It is advisable to compress the rim of the piece after each pull.
Return to the center of the rotating piece of clay and repeat the outward and upward pulls.
Some throwing suggestions: Keep your cross sections as even as you can. Learn to throw and do
not depend on excessive trimming to form the piece. Consider the exterior surface of the piece as
you are throwing and finishing the outside. If you trim the outside of a form you should consider
the results of that trimming as a part of the overall design. Consider your intent as you are
working on a piece. What do you want the clay to communicate. Even a functional vessel
communicates intent. As you progress in working with clay you should have a clear
understanding of what the finished product will look like as you are making it. Learn control
before you learn to give up control.
Ceramics 212
Assignment #9
Wheel Thrown Lidded Form
The purpose of this assignment is to learn how to make two forms fit together visually as well as
physically. I realize that many students will have a great deal of trouble with this assignment . It will not
carry the grade weight of the other assignments, but I want every student to attempt the assignment and turn
in their results for the final critique. Only well made and well fitting pieces will be fired.
Begin with a series of drawings of wheel thrown lidded forms. These forms may be
based on cylinders or bowls. As you are designing the piece you need to look at the ways
lids fit. Select an appropriate lid connection for your piece.
Throw the base.
Throw the lid. Attach appropriate handles.
Trim and fit the pieces together.
Assignment #10
Lidded set:
Make a set of lidded containers using any of the techniques you have learned this semester. The term set
indicated that they have some design or formal feature which makes them work together. This set should be
very well crafted. The final presentation of this set will be used as an indicator of all you have learned this
semester.
As you work on this piece you should consider the function of the set. The lids should fit very well and
have an appropriate handle. The lids should also visually complete the piece. You will be graded on
craftsmanship, numbers and degree of difficulty of the design you selected.
Extra credit:
Do not begin this work until all of your regular assignments are successfully completed.
Landscape:
The purpose of this assignment is to get you to think about concept and content issues in ceramics.
Lots of drawings. Design and develop your landscape with intent based on content,
mood, mode, gesture etc. I want this landscape to hold a strong message in its content
Make a landscape in clay using the techniques we have explored in this class. This piece
will be due the day of your final and may count for extra credit.
Self-portrait
The purpose of this assignment is to get you to consider a content issue in ceramics very broadly. Using
any of the techniques we have experimented with in class or any other approved ceramic technique produce
a self-portrait. I will restrict you from sculpting this self-portrait in the traditional clay sculpting
techniques. As you design the piece please remember that a self-portrait is not necessarily a physical
likeness of yourself. You are welcome to produce a likeness of yourself, but also consider that a selfportrait can be a metaphorical description of who you are.
Lots of drawings. Make lists of words to define yourself and this project. Be prepared to
tell me very specifically what your intent is with this piece.
This piece will be due at the time of your final and may count as extra credit.
You will be graded on quality as well as quantity in this class. I firmly believe you learn to make better
works of art by making more works of art. Not all the pieces you make for this class will be fired. I will
not fire cracked or substandard works. I will also not fire trinkets. If you have any questions as to what
makes a trinket we can discuss it. Before we talk about it I would suggest you clearly examine your intent
in the piece.