Art
290V Intermediate Ceramics: Hand building and Wheel Throwing
Instructor:
Jennifer Owen Office: Ceramics Studio
Phone:
Web page: mauicc.hawaii.edu/staff/owen/
Office hours: Mon. & Wed.:
A. Course Description:
Art 290V develops vessel and
sculptural concepts using hand-building and/or wheel throwing techniques. The course introduces the elements of art
through the making of ceramic form. The
class progresses beyond basic hand building and wheel throwing techniques to
advanced skills: various forming and
embellishing techniques, work with colored slip, glaze work, and the firing of
kilns. Students work towards development
of individual creative expression.
B. Course Credits and Contact Hours per Week:
Three credits, and six lecture/lab
contact hours.
C. Prerequisites:
Art 105, or consent.
D. Learner Outcomes:
Students completing this course will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a proficiency
in hand building and/or wheel throwing techniques and an effort to develop a
personal style.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of
different clay bodies and the relationship of geology to the origin and
characteristics of clay.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of
the varieties of materials and techniques of the glazing and firing processes,
including the basic chemical compositions of glazes, oxidation and reduction
firing, low temperature and high temperature firing, and proper kiln care and
safety.
4. Demonstrate an
understanding of color and surface as it relates to three-dimensional form in
the use of glazes and oxides.
5. Demonstrate an ability to
fire a kiln, and an understanding of the chemical changes that transform clay
and glaze at each stage of the firing process.
6. Demonstrate knowledge of
historic and contemporary examples of hand built and wheel thrown ceramics.
E. Course Requirements:
1. Completion of 10-15
projects in clay, some being very specific assignments, and others being chosen
by the student, following assignment guidelines.
2. Three quizzes, which will
test the students' understanding of vocabulary, concepts and techniques of
ceramics.
3. Active participation in
loading of at least one bisque firing and one glaze firing.
4. Mixing of at least one
glaze from a recipe, and the making of at least one colored slip.
5. Keeping a notebook that
records every clay project, with glaze notes for each piece, as well as lecture
notes and notes on glaze tests.
F. Evaluation and Grading:
Letter grades will be given
based on 90-100% = A, 80-89% = B, 70-79%=C, 55-69%=D.
The course requirements will be weighted as follows:
Projects and assignments in clay: 50%(graded for
technical ability[based on each student’s progress], originality, form, surface,
glaze, and expression)
¨
Note: Project grades are based on each student’s
progress during the class. Projects are
graded on craftsmanship, creativity, vitality, form, surface, glaze,
expression, and effort.
Participation in class: 15%
Three quizzes: 15%
Mixing glaze and slip: 5%
Notebook
5%
Loading/firing kilns 10%
Note: This is a studio course and therefore more
emphasis is given to projects than written exams.
G. Course Content:
Week 1&2:
Introduction to clay
Wedging and recycling clay
Advanced pinching techniques
Originality
Refresher on throwing on the
potter’s wheel: cylinders and vases
Surface treatment
Working in a series
Lecture: science of clay: plasticity, particle size, grog, cracking,
drying, shrinking
Week 3&4:
Quiz on clay
Advanced coil techniques and
working large with coils
Shape development and
aesthetics of proportions
Throwing bowls and plates
Historical and contemporary
slides and discussion of coiling and throwing and altering
Week 5&6:
Advanced slab techniques &
working large
Planning: drawing and pattern making
Armatures
Throwing lids and spouts and
assembling teapots
Mixing colored slip
Sgraffito, mishima, wax mishima, layered
slip, trailed slip, wet on wet, graduated slip, stencils, dotting, and painting
slip
Slides and discussion
Week 7&8:
Bisque firing, kiln loading
and firing, and kiln care and safety (lecture and demonstration). Lecture topics: atmospheric water, chemical water, quartz
inversion, red heat, vitrification, low fire vs. high
fire, gas kilns vs. electric kilns, oxidation vs.
reduction
Begin throwing large by coil
and throw or sectional throwing
Quiz on kiln loading and
firing
Week 9 &10:
Glazing: paint, dip, pour, spray, waxing, etc.
(lecture and demonstration)
Lecture on the science of
glaze (chemical composition, effects of temperature and atmosphere of firing on
coloring oxides)
Health and safety in relation
to glazes
Overlapping glazes and special
effects
Techniques for very large
forms: functional and sculptural applications
Staining techniques
Quiz on glaze science and
application
Week 11&12:
Plaster work: simple one piece plaster mold making
Using mold for press-molding
Hump molds with added foot
Continue throwing large
Week 13&14:
More glazing
Continued firing instruction
Videos
Week 15&16:
Final firings
End of class critique
Check notebooks
Clean up of studio
H. Attendance
Attendance and punctuality is extremely important if you
wish to do well in this class. If you
have a legitimate emergency (health, work or family crisis) you must call ext.
202
I. Supplies
§
By September 4, you will be expected to have:
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notebook (You
must record glaze notes for every piece you glaze. You will also be expected to take notes
during lectures. Handouts should be filed
in notebook.)
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a tool kit or the equivalent (available at the
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clay (a 25 pound bag, available at the
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dry cleaner plastic or several kitchen size
plastic garbage bags
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small and medium paint brush (kind that comes to
a point)
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rubber gloves (surgical or kitchen type)
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green scrubby pad for sanding unfired clay
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sheet of 80 or 120 grit sand paper for sanding
fired clay
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optional:
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water spray bottle (spritzer)
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plastic triangle square
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spoon or polished stone
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ruler
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apron or smock to keep your clothes clean
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small towel for cleaning up or drying hands
J. Safety:
Throughout the course, safety will be stressed, with particular attention given to safety in kiln firing procedures, glaze mixing and handling, and the prevention and hazards of dust throughout the entire studio and in every stage of working with clay and glaze. Each student will be expected to leave the course with a clear understanding of the health hazards associated with ceramics, and well-developed habits in the safe handling of ceramic materials. Any deviance from safety procedures will not be tolerated and will be corrected immediately.
“Assumption of Risk and Release
Forms” are required from all students.
Before using the equipment for a class project, your instructor will
review safety procedures. It is also
your responsibility to review those procedures before using the equipment.
Activities that create dust
from clay or other silica-bearing materials require the use of an OSHA-approved
particle mask. These activities
include: 1) scraping kiln shelves
(protective Eyewear is also required); 2) mixing dry glazes; 3) using the dry
glaze room; 4) grinding or sanding clay; and 5) sanding glaze. Please ask for a dust mask or respirator when
needed, and perform these activities outside the classroom, away from other
students. Manipulating clay involves
some repetitive motion, which can put students at risk for carpal tunnel
syndrome and other disorders. Students
are to inform the instructor immediately if they experience any pain or
discomfort in or after class.
Instead of the research
assignment(written report, oral report, and ceramic piece inspired by research)
and one other assignment of your choosing, or instead of taking
the three quizzes, a student may elect to volunteer for a non-profit
arts organization for 20 hours during the semester. Possible organizations
include the Maui Arts and Cultural Center Exhibit Program (helping with the
installation of shows in the gallery), the Hui No`eau Visual Arts Center
(assisting the teacher in a children’s ceramics class), and Hale Makua (helping with craft activities or creating decorations
for the facility).
Service Learning is a learning
method that connects meaningful community service experiences with academic
learning, personal growth, and civic responsibility. It enhances what is taught by extending
students’ learning beyond the classroom and providing opportunities to acquire
skills and knowledge in real-life situations in the community.
Your instructor has already
arranged for certain non-profit agencies to participate with
L. Extra Credit Opportunities
There are 3 quizzes. If a student wants to raise any quiz grade by a full grade point, they may take advantage of several extra credit opportunities.
There are three videos on ceramic artists on reserve in the library, for viewing in the library only. If any student views a video and hands in a one-paragraph summary or notes taken while viewing the video, they will raise one quiz grade by a full grade point.
There will be some other opportunities to earn
extra credit by viewing art exhibitions and writing a 3-6 sentence response to
the exhibit. The instructor will
announce these opportunities as they arise.
M. Library Resources
There are two periodicals in our
Three videos have been placed on reserve for your
use. They are:
Toshiko
Takaezu:
Portrait of an Artist
Betty
Woodman: Thinking Out Loud
Ceramics Studio Procedures
Use of Facilities
§
Only students currently registered in ceramics
may use facilities; children, family or friends are not allowed in the studio.
§
Excessive production of ceramic works will not be
allowed, and the interpretation of the word “excessive” is entirely at the
discretion of the instructor. The
instructor reserves the right to refuse to fire any work, either because it is
inappropriate for the college environment, because it is too large, or because
it poses a risk to other work or to the kilns or other equipment.
Music
§
Radios and other music may not be used during
class time, except by permission of the instructor.
Smoking
§
Smoking is not allowed in or near the studio.
Footwear
§
Footwear is mandatory at all times.
Work Space
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Please make it your responsibility to help keep
the studio clean. Your contribution to
studio chores will figure in to the “attendance” portion of your grade. Work habits and effort are an important part
of the evaluation process of your grade.
If you come late, leave early, sit around the studio when kilns need to
be stacked, shelves need to be organized, etc., you will be losing grade credit
towards your final grade in the course.
Helping in the studio is mandatory and is part of the course. At the end of each class, studio tools and
work surfaces (wheels, tables, slab roller, extruder) are to be clean and all
work stored on shelves.
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All clay and glaze (wet or dry) and water
containing clay or glaze must be kept out of the lavatory sinks in order to
prevent clogging the drains.
Instructions will be given for use of the outside barrels.
Phones
§
Cell phones and beepers should be turned off
during class. Only in an emergency
should phone calls be made or received during class time.
Special Accommodation
§
Please talk to
me at any time (after class, before class, during office hours, or by
telephone) if you need special accommodation.
The College also has wonderful free counseling, tutoring, etc. that I
can connect you with.
For the following assignments, you may choose to work with coils, slabs, pinching, or wheel throwing (or a combination of methods). You must, however, make at least one piece that is over 15” tall (when wet) and this piece must be constructed in more than one day.
Note: Projects are graded when they are unloaded
from their final firing. If a piece is
damaged or broken before it can be completed, show the instructor what remains
of it, for partial credit.
Choose to complete 9 of the following 13 projects:
1) Make a hand built or thrown piece (pot or sculpture)
of your original design, with particular attention given to three aspects: the overall form, the top or rim, and the
bottom or foot.
2) Make a three-tiered piece (sculptural or functional)
where each section has a different shape or form. You could design the piece as if it were
three very different elements stacked in an interesting and dynamic balance, or
you could go for a more organic flowing of related forms (like the way branches
grow from a tree trunk, or the way the neck and head of a bird emerge from its
body). Or you could make the piece look
like architecture, as if it were a building with three different sections or
levels.
3) Make a teapot or
complex sculptural form, designing it first by doing drawings in your
notebook. The drawings should be
available for the instructor to view.
4) Research a style of ceramics or a ceramic
artist or a historical period, xerox or print out
some images to show the class, make a brief written report on your research,
make an oral report to the class, and make a ceramic piece inspired by the
artist or period you researched. You
will find two periodicals, Studio Potter and Ceramics Monthly in
our
5) Find an object, either from
nature or man-made, and use it as inspiration for a piece. Make sure you have the object or a photo of
it to present with your finished piece.
6) Make a series of three or
more pieces, which all explore variations on the same theme (this theme can be
form, technique, decoration, or something of your choice). The pieces may be functional or sculptural.
7) Create a piece that is functional and has a good fitting lid OR is sculptural and has a good fitting door or opening of some kind into the piece.
8) Make a piece that looks
like it is made of a material (or object) other than clay.
9) Make six small studies
(maquettes) for sculptures, with each exploring one of the following styles:
a)
Realistic (looks like something we would
recognize)
b)
Organic (based on the form of a living plant or
animal)
c)
Geometric (based on geometric forms)
d)
Architectonic (like architecture or buildings)
e)
Abstract (not looking like anything we would
recognize)
f)
Expressionistic (expressive of emotions)
10) Research the fine art
painting of one of the following artists:
Matisse, Gauguin, van Gogh, Bonnard, Kandinsky, Klee, O’Keeffe, Miro, Mondrian, Pollock, Rothko,
Frank Stella, Lichtenstein, or de Kooning, and copy
the painting style of one of these artists on a piece made for this project.
11) Make a form that is constructed in piecework, expressionist fashion, like the work of Peter Voulkos.
12) Make a musical instrument out of clay ( it could be a flute, an ocarina, a drum, or other percussion instrument). This assignment must be completed by April 2 (including final glaze firing) so that the music class taught by Robert Wehrman may use any instruments we create in a collaboration with our class, where they compose music for our instruments, and perform it on them.
13) Make a planter designed for a particular plant OR a container for serving a particular food, and be prepared to present its special characteristics that make it a particularly appropriate vessel for containing either the plant or the food.
NOTE: You may create your own assignments or
variations of these assignments as substitutions, as long as you get prior
approval of the instructor, before initiating the project.
For the following
assignments, no substitutions are allowed:
14) Make a simple plaster press mold (1 piece mold) for a chopstick holder for the Class Act Restaurant run by the Culinary Arts Program at MCC. If you have already made a mold in last semester’s Art 243, you may use the one you already made, or you may make another, or you may make some other simple one piece mold for another purpose.
15) Make 10 clay chopstick holders for the Class Act, utilizing your plaster mold, and glaze them with appropriate glaze colors or with forest green glaze. (If you made 10 last semester, you must make 10 more this semester, but they can be the same or different.)
16) Using a plaster mold made by your instructor, make eight square condiment dishes for the Class Act, and glaze them with the forest green glaze OR make on the potter’s wheel, two sugar bowls (without lids) and two creamers (without handles), according to the designs provided by your instructor.
17) Mix a glaze.
18) Mix a colored slip.
19) Decorate two pieces (they may fulfill other assignments) with two different kinds of slip decoration.
20) Keep a class notebook with
glaze notes, lecture notes, and notes on research and projects.
21) It is required that you assist in the loading and firing (during class time) of at least one bisque and one glaze firing. You will also be required to participate in the regular maintenance of the kiln shelves (chiseling, grinding, and repairing kiln wash). If you choose to fire pieces in raku firings, you must assist in setting up and putting away the kiln, as well as cleaning up after each firing your work is included in.