About the lesson
In this lesson the students continued the exploration of clay, but with intention of creating an artwork that they could keep. Through interacting with clay, students had opportunities to ideate, create, and experiment in three dimensions. The material and lesson engaged students through problem solving, repetition, and practice of the fortitude to utilize studio materials and potentially hazardous equipment safely and appropriately. The clay used was air drying, so the students had to work efficiently, with the end goal in mind. Due to the fast drying nature of the clay, students had to utilize organizational techniques before opening their clay, and then re-evaluate the effectiveness of their methods as they worked with the material. The ultimate goal of the students' was to create a work of art that they felt a personal connection to, and had structural integrity.
Essential Understandings
Outcomes
Students will be able to:
1. After a short Introduction on the medium: clay, students will be able to connect with each other at their table groups and share observations or ideas to manipulate the clay by demonstrating their ability to responsibly explore new material and tools.
2. After experimenting with possible forms, the students will be able to expand on the form and use tools safely and appropriately for marking, designing, and adding texture to the surface, shown by a successful creation of a sculpture with form and texture.
3. Sharing their artwork, students will be able to reflect on their creation with each other; by presenting their piece in a mini gallery walk, discussing their process, and their creative decisions.
Skills
After teachers shared the project guidelines, techniques, and possible outcomes, the students had time to interact with the new medium at their seats. They worked through the ideation processes while directly interacting and experimenting with the medium and tools.
Performance of understanding:
As they worked, students discussed the creative decisions that went into making their artwork. They shared insight into why they created their particular form, sharing pertinent stories, observations, what tools they used the most, and in what ways/techniques they used those tools to create their desired outcome. Through this manner of interaction the students uncovered the details of their creative problem solving as well as their artistic identity. This process culminated in the student's creating a work of art with personal relevance to themselves, that could be taken home, to keep, once dried.
- Artists/designers use critical thinking and techniques to explore new materials and tools.
- Artists/designers express their own creative imagination through art.
Outcomes
Students will be able to:
1. After a short Introduction on the medium: clay, students will be able to connect with each other at their table groups and share observations or ideas to manipulate the clay by demonstrating their ability to responsibly explore new material and tools.
2. After experimenting with possible forms, the students will be able to expand on the form and use tools safely and appropriately for marking, designing, and adding texture to the surface, shown by a successful creation of a sculpture with form and texture.
3. Sharing their artwork, students will be able to reflect on their creation with each other; by presenting their piece in a mini gallery walk, discussing their process, and their creative decisions.
Skills
- Critical thinking and organizational techniques
- Creative problem solving and reflection through the process
- Ability to mold clay into 3 Dimensional Art
- Expansion of ideas through exploration of design
- Sculpting Techniques
- Studio Critique Etiquette
After teachers shared the project guidelines, techniques, and possible outcomes, the students had time to interact with the new medium at their seats. They worked through the ideation processes while directly interacting and experimenting with the medium and tools.
Performance of understanding:
- Student has interacted creatively with the clay and shaped it into a new form with structural integrity.
- Student has experimented with the tools, and explored ways to make marks and texture on the clay’s surface.
- Student can discuss the creative process and decision making that went into their artwork.
- Student engaged with the materials in a safe and appropriate manner, and was responsible for cleaning up his/her work space.
As they worked, students discussed the creative decisions that went into making their artwork. They shared insight into why they created their particular form, sharing pertinent stories, observations, what tools they used the most, and in what ways/techniques they used those tools to create their desired outcome. Through this manner of interaction the students uncovered the details of their creative problem solving as well as their artistic identity. This process culminated in the student's creating a work of art with personal relevance to themselves, that could be taken home, to keep, once dried.
In general, the students began their process by creating a foundational shape. These shapes were represented by a cylinder, an orb, coil, or a pancake. From these basic forms the students used a combination of removing and adding clay to create a more complex design.
This student worked diligently, and expressed an interest to create a face that expressed strong emotions.
"Waaah" the student laughed, "He's scared! Look out!" The student laughed with his table members, as he pushed the facial features farther to exaggerate the expression. The original intention of the piece was to create a representational portrait, but as the student explored methods to represent the hair, and incorporate expression into the face, the piece became more and more abstract. This showed how continued reflection, and alterations occur during the creative process to create a piece of art that evokes a stronger reaction from the artist and audience. |
Similarly, this student utilized the same techniques as their table-mate, however the end result was different.
"I am making a blueberry pancake!" I asked her, "Is a blueberry pancake really what you would like to let dry and take home?" "Yes! Pancakes are my favorite." she said, "Any time I am hungry for pancakes I can look at it." By letting the students choose what they created, their was a strong personal connection to the piece. As a result, their working etiquette and professionalism benefited. |
Unicorns were a common choice of subject matter from this class. There were three different students who expressed this interest, however their individuality still shone through. From their experience with the clay, and tools from the last class, they were able to express their shared subject matter through the utilization of different techniques, thus creating vastly different results. Different combinations of artistic principles emerged in their work, but because of their different processes, challenges specific to their methods arose as well. This student created a unicorn head with a large horn, but as she continued to add to the horn, problems with structural integrity developed. She had to make decisions and retract some of her original design choices. This was a lesson in compromise, and figuring out how to make the design work aesthetically and structurally.
This student began by making a teapot... "Look a teapot" she exclaimed, "I'm going to decorate it with a unicorn!" As she worked her vision came to life.
"This unicorn is a teapot, and the teapot is a unicorn. It's alive but I can drink from it, like Beauty and the Beast."
She stayed true to her vision and used exceptional craftsmanship to execute the concept effectively. Some of the other students loved her piece, some where jealous of her skill, and some didn't get the idea. However, since the student herself was proud of her work, and was given the freedom to create something she was passionate about, she was able to take the negative reactions in stride, and revel in those that enjoyed her work. Through creating with clay, she learned a valuable lesson in art that transfers to other aspects of life.
"This unicorn is a teapot, and the teapot is a unicorn. It's alive but I can drink from it, like Beauty and the Beast."
She stayed true to her vision and used exceptional craftsmanship to execute the concept effectively. Some of the other students loved her piece, some where jealous of her skill, and some didn't get the idea. However, since the student herself was proud of her work, and was given the freedom to create something she was passionate about, she was able to take the negative reactions in stride, and revel in those that enjoyed her work. Through creating with clay, she learned a valuable lesson in art that transfers to other aspects of life.
From start to finish, we encouraged the students to explore the materials, to make marks, create forms, and see what was possible. It was interesting to see how many students shared similar inclinations and immediate reactions but always found a way to separate their artwork from their table members and make it their own.
This student quickly brainstormed what she wanted to create before starting with the clay. After deciding that she wanted to make members of her family, she began working vigorously. She told stories as she worked and honed her process through repetition. For some students repetition can become a torturous method, but because of the personal connection and excitement she had for the subject matter, the process was enjoyable. She was focused, engaged, and honed her designs as the process continued. The lesson concluded with her genuine excitement for what she had created, and a desire to continue working if there had been more time.
The students above sit next to each other, and knew from the previous lesson that they were going to create vases when they had another chance with clay. The relative scale, and general shape of the vases was the same, but the two had different methods for creating the structure. One used coils and the other used a clumping and molding technique. I assumed they had made a definitive decision to work differently, but it turns out, that they had taken up these different strategies intuitively based on which method held the most intrinsic value to them. This relayed to me that individuality in art is not necessarily something that has to be forced, but is something that can be encouraged naturally by students working in the manner that feels best to them.