2. * In this lesson we made
rather unflattering* clay
models of each other from
red modelling clay that we
would glaze and fire later
on.
* We experimented with
different tools to add
texture and detail, and got
a general feel for making
*maybe not quite this
things from clay. unflattering
3. *We were taught to ‘throw’ things
from smoother clay on the
potting wheels.
*Learnt a little about the tradition
of Japanese tea ceremonies/
*Threw some very basic tea
bowls on the potting wheels.
*I made mine seem less wonky
by adding little pouring lips to the
rims.
4. *We were given the task of
making ‘ceramic trophies’
on the wheel.
*We made ridiculous
shapes and joined other
pieces of thrown work
together.
*Mine all fell to bits, so in
the end I cheated and
added a few pretty bits and
some handles to a tea
bowl.
5. *We were given
the challenge of
making something
totally
‘unceramic’, such
as tubes of
toothpaste, or
pocket watches.
*This was a cool
experiment in how
clay can imitate so
many materials.
6. *We fired our projects in
huge ovens called kilns
that heat up to around
100 degrees.
*The figures were fired
in a little, low heat kiln
called the raku kiln.
*Firing cooks the clay
and keeps it from
breaking easily or being
damaged by water. It
also changes the colour.
7. *We experimented with different
sorts of glaze.
*The glazes all turned out very
different to how we imagined.
*We did colour experiments on
our trophies but the clear
protective glaze that we put over
top didn’t really... Go clear so we
ended up with cracked white
glaze.
