Ugly Jugs

If you haven't noticed, lately, my classes have been focusing on Georgia artists.  Ugly jugs or face jugs also fall under this umbrella.  They are a southern tradition dating back to the Meader family and some would say it goes back even further to the time of slavery.  Slaves would make them after the working day was done.  Many speculate about why they are so ugly.  My research reveals many reasons but the common thread is they are made to be frightening. 

 

Fifth graders really impressed me. 

 



big bad wolf and the little piggy



okay... so the objective "ugly" was optional ... cute and quirky work too



kitty cat friends

 

Kimmy Cantrell Clay Faces

Last school year, I introduced 4th graders to the artwork of Kimmy Cantrell, a Georgia native.  They enjoyed making these quirky clay faces so much that I brought it back this year.  I experimented a little with the surface but the the objective was the same.  Everyone made a face celebrating imperfection by using assymetrical balance, unexpected textures, and expressive features. 

mostly mustache friends

just a good pair

bewildered

"oooooooooooooooohhhhh..."

great hair style

asymmetry at its finest

successfully imperfect and expressive

3 is a crowd



One of these guys feels a little unsteady.  Haha.  Can you find him?

 *See last year's post to learn and see more.

Ugly Jug preview

I was too excited to wait... these are going to rock!

What an "ugly" bunch of ugly jugs and mugs. I can't wait to see what these look like after they are glazed.

 

Ikebanas

Last school year, I set off to learn more about Japanese art, particularly clay.  I guess I was just bored of making tea bowls with my second graders.  Now, tea bowls are wonderful and as a ceramist, I have deep respect for the tradition.  I just wanted to change it up a bit.  I stumbled upon Ikebana (the Japanese art of flower arranging),  so I decided to explore this idea of playing with balance in how we can arrange flowers as well as what a vase can look like.

 Everyone loved making these so much last year that I decided to make them again.

Vases drying - textured slabs attached to a pinch pot base

Glazing

 

Proud moment

More happy artists



Display



* Be sure to look at my previous post from last year for other images.

Kindergarten's Clay Houses

This is one of my favorite Kindergarten projects. 

 

Everyone's idea of a home is different or at least it should be ... this is something I remind them. We don't all live in houses that look like a square with a triangle on top. To help move away from that common idea, we start by visualizing and then drawing our homes before making them in clay.

 

we colored the bisqued clay with construction paper crayons and then painted over top with black tempera

:)

 

Kimmy Cantrell Clay Masks

Georgia artist Kimmy Cantrell makes sculptures exaggerating and celebrating our imperfections.   

4th graders did the same thing.  Take a look! 



Kimmy Cantrell



After sketching an asymmetrical face and drawing visual textures, we rolled and textured our slabs.  Then we slip'n'scored the facial features attaching them to the slab. One of our biggest challenges was to use the 3 major clay building methods: slabs, coils, and pinch pots. 

Ikebana Clay Vases

2nd grade made these Japanese inspirations, after viewing and discussing ikebana vases and arrangements.  Before getting out the clay, we decided what kind of balance our vase would have- symmetrical, asymmetrical, or radial.  Then we dragged out the clay and tried our hands at making a pinch pot and a textured slab, attaching them by slipping 'n' scoring.  They came alive with the shiny colorful glaze.

In these zany arrangements we focused on showing rhythm, contrast, and asymmetry. 

These were magical to watch unfold ... so much fun! 

Beverly Buchanan Kindergarten Clay Houses

Kindergartners love to draw houses... and even more, they love to make them out of clay.  We chatted all about clay - what it is, where does it comes from, how can we make it flat and most of all how can we add texture.

After drawing a sketch of a house, we used a rolling pin to flatten the clay into a slab.  Then we pressed found objects into the clay.