I'm teaching a class at the Artscenter in Carrboro right now called Pottery Sampler. This is a class for absolute beginners. We started out with pinch pots, moved on to coils, then slabs and then the wheel. Last week one of my students brought in a photo of one of Mark Hewitt's pitchers and said, "I want to make this." My comment to her was, I can't make that! So I figured there had to be a good way to teach beginners to make a pitcher with slabs. And so I pulled out one of my trusty reference books from the 500 series and looked for one that might be an easy example. Here is what happened.
I rolled out a slab and stamped it with textures, beginners like using stamps.
Then I found a jar in my kitchen that looked like a good size for a pitcher, wrapped it in paper to keep the slab from sticking
And Voila, cut the rim, add a coil handle and not bad for an easy to make pitcher. We made them today in class and it was very fun!
15 comments:
not bad at all!
i always cringe a little when beginners tell me they want to do something that is way beyond their skill level(wanting to make a dinnerware set is a common request.) do you break their spirit by telling them they won't be able to? do you distract them with something else? do you let them try and ultimately fail? i struggle with this gray area. i think you made a good call.
super cool trace..hey i'm in that book not a fanastic photo though!!mmmm
Hey I'll come and take your class it looks like a lot of fun and I can brush up on techniques. The pitcher looks great.
What a pitcher! It turned out really well. Great project to do, and a confidence booster to the folk in the class. In a print making class that I once tutored, one of my beginners wanted to draw like Albrecht Durer!
I was wondering if I could ask you a question about raku??? As you know, I have been having a dabble in raku recently. I read somewhere that copper glazes can slowly re oxidize over time and that some raku potters protect them. I wondered if you coat the fired raku pot with anything once it is cool, or know of potters who do?
Best Wishes, P.
inspired me as a beginner having to make a functional piece for my first project!
Thanks
Cool project - you gave those kids practical skills & confidence. One of my first pottery instructors told us that pottery was a series of problem solving . . . I was so disappointed to hear that cause I was there to have fun -- but you know -- it is. And you demonstrated to your students -- ask the question & then figure out how to do it.
And it's a great pitcher too!
Thanks all for your comments. Peter, the copper will re oxidize and fade over time. Steven Forbes told us a story about a museum packing away some raku pieces of a famous potter and later pulling them out to find they were all black, the colors completely gone. I know of some raku people that use a silver polish to protect the pieces and some use wax. I'm not sure anything will make the copper permanent though. I should do more investigating.....
hey peter, anna has some super new recipes we've been trying out it'll take a while to see if they oxidise though..it is all in the chemistry apparently some silica helps i'll see if i can find those notes, now where did i put them??
Ang, I would be interested in the glazes as well. I have also heard that if the glaze has clay in it, it will help slow the oxidation, not sure if this is correct, but makes sense I guess.BTW, cool that you are in the pitchers book!
I'm not an absolute beginner BUT I learned a lot from your lesson. Thanks.
PS It is a very nice pitcher! Gay Judson
Gay, good to hear from you! I was cleaning out some of my computer files last night and ran across Kenny's Christmas drawing. I'm saving it for my holiday post again this year! I just love it!! I think I might start posting more of the projects we do in class. next week will be the last class, but I start again in February.
Great project idea. Think I will use as slab demo for my students on Tuesday night. Thanks.
Great project and post Tracey.
Here's my take on the same project.I will post a picture after it's glazed as well http://bridgespottery.com/blog
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