Art 105 Introductory Studio: Ceramics Fall 2002
Instructor: Jennifer Owen Office: Ka Lama 133 and Ceramics Studio
Phone:
Office hours: Mon.:
Tues. & Thurs.:
A. Course
Description:
Art 105 explores pottery making and ceramic sculpture using hand building and wheel throwing techniques. The course introduces the elements of art and an understanding of craftsmanship through the making and decorating of ceramic form. Students work towards development of individual creative expression.
B. Course
Credits and Contact Hours per Week:
Three credits, and two hours lecture/four hours lab per week.
C. Prerequisites: None.
D. Learner
Outcomes:
Students completing this course will be able to:
E. Course
Requirements:
Course Outline
Week 1 &
2 : intro to clay
pinching pots and joining clay (scoring and slipping)
stamps and signature stamps
burnishing
discussion:
aesthetics of primitive pottery
recycling, wedging clay and adding grog
lecture: science
of clay: plasticity, particle size,
cracking, drying, shrinking, firing, greenware, bisqueware, dust, safety
Week 3
: coil building
slab building
slides
Week 4 :
loading electric bisque kiln
lecture: loading
and firing: atmospheric water, candling, chemical water, quartz inversion, red
heat
fire kiln
work time on coil and slab projects
Week 5 : field trip to Hui (to conduct
sawdust firing and to visit exhibit) and to Maui Crafts Guild
demo: decorating and
waxing sawdust pots
Week 6:
throwing demo: cylinders
throwing lecture: outline steps (students take notes)
throwing practice
Week 7 :
demo: trimming foot
colored slip
mix colored slip
demo sgraffito, mishima, brush work and banding
practice throwing (half of class handbuild,
half throw each class)
Week 8 : demo:
faceting, fluting, and handles
review for midterm exam
Week 9 :
MIDTERM EXAM
Week 10
: glaze lecture and demo
Week 11 :
load glaze fire
lecture on glaze
fire, vitrification, low fire vs. high fire, gas
kilns vs. electric kilns, oxidation vs. reduction
Week 12
: discussion: glaze results
Week 13&14: glazing and firing
Week 15
: review for final exam
review of glaze
results
grading of finished
pieces and notebooks
student
self-evaluation of art work
Week 16
: FINAL EXAM
bring
notebooks for grading
cleanup
of studio
course
evaluations
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.
229
Grades will be based on the following:
|
Projects in clay |
40% |
|
Four pieces for Class Act
Restaurant |
10% |
|
Attendance and class
participation |
15% |
|
Midterm exam |
10% |
|
Final exam |
5% |
|
Quizzes |
15% |
|
Mixing glaze, loading kilns,
glaze notes in notebook |
5% |
¨
Note:
Project grades are based on each student’s progress during the
class. You will not be penalized for
being a beginner, as this is an introductory course. Projects are graded on craftsmanship,
creativity, vitality, form, surface, glaze, expression, and effort.
Required Text: Make it in Clay by Speight and Toki
§
By September 4, you will be expected to have:
¨
textbook: Make it in Clay by Speight and
Toki (from the
¨
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.)
¨
a tool kit or the equivalent: needle, wire, wood knife, sponge, loop tool,
tool box (available at the
¨
clay (a 25 pound bag, available at the
¨
spoon or polished stone
¨
dry cleaner plastic or several kitchen size
plastic garbage bags
¨
small and medium paint brush (kind that comes to
a point)
¨
rubber gloves (surgical or kitchen type)
¨
green scrubby pad for sanding unfired clay
¨
sheet of 80 or 120 grit sand paper for sanding
fired clay
¨
optional:
¨
water spray bottle (spritzer)
¨
plastic triangle square
¨
piece of chamois or other smooth cloth(1"x
3") attached to a cork
¨
ruler
¨
excellent tools from
¨
scoring tool, clay knife, rubber rib, metal rib,
sharp trimming loop
¨
apron or smock to keep your clothes clean
¨
small towel for cleaning up or drying hands
§
My goal as your teacher is:
¨
to make you work hard, yet give you lots of
freedom about how you work
¨
to help you put yourself into your work
¨
to help you experiment, take risks
¨
to help you like ceramics
¨
to create an atmosphere of support and
cooperation rather than competition
¨
to give you an understanding of the materials,
techniques, and science of ceramics that will enable you to master the clay and
express yourself through it
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.
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
¨
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.
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.
READING ASSIGNMENTS in TEXT
1)
pp. 1-12, 17-25
2)
pp. 13-16, 26-40, 129-133
3)
pp. 159-169, 134-138, opt:
128-129
4)
pp. 41-54, 81-88, opt: 55-57
5)
pp. 59-80
6)
pp. 95-99, 104-105, 107, 111-115
7)
pp. 108-110, 116-125
8)
pp. 140-145, 146-152, 155-156
9)
pp. 170-175
10)pp. 182-185, opt: 89-93, 153-154
Instead of the 5 assignments
listed under “Week 6,7,8, & 9”, or
instead of the “Special Project” assignment, or instead of taking
the final exam, 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), and the Hui No`eau
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
There are 10 quizzes, one based on each reading assignment. 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 a free slide lecture by nationally acclaimed
ceramic artist, Tom Kerrigan, on Thursday, September 19, at
There will probably be some other opportunities
to earn extra credit by viewing art exhibitions and writing a 3-6 sentence response
to the exhibit. These opportunities will
be announced by the instructor as they arise.
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
ASSIGNMENTS
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.
§
Week 1
& 2
§
6 quick rough little pinch pots to use for glaze
tests
§
*creative pinch pot or sculpture (must be a
minimum of 4” tall)
§
*burnished pinch pot or sculpture
§
*stamp or roulette(signature or decorative)
§
keeping a notebook, containing:
¨
lecture notes
¨
record of every piece made
¨
glaze notes for each piece made
¨
handouts
§
Week 3, 4,
& 5
§
*coil pot or sculpture
§
*slab box or sculpture of similar complexity
§
*2 slab vases: one of the student’s own design,
one with banana-leaf texture for the
§
4 test tiles (made from scraps of slabs) for
glaze and oxide tests, pierced with a drinking straw to make a hole to hang it
up by
§
*slab pupu plate in the
shape of a banana leaf for the Class Act Restaurant
§
*2 square slab bowls, made in molds (for the
Class Act Restaurant) for salt, pepper, or condiments
§
Week 6, 7,
8, & 9
§
mix one colored slip or glaze with partner, make
tests on test tiles, and record in notebook
§
*slip decoration on a piece (may be some other
assignment)
§
*5" cylinder (made on potter's wheel)
§
*mug with handle (mug may be hand-built or made
on the potter's wheel)
§
*bowl (made on potter's wheel)
***SPECIAL
PROJECT: choose to do
one of the following projects:
***The
grade for this piece carries the weight of three other pieces.
·
1) combination pot or sculpture piece combining two or more forming methods (pinch, coil, slab, throw), at least 10” tall
·
2) large slab piece (functional or sculptural) at
least 10” tall
·
3) large coil piece (functional or sculptural) at
least 10” tall
·
4) large thrown piece (functional or sculptural)
at least 10” tall
§
Week 10
§
glaze a piece by dipping, overlapping two colors
§
*decorate over a glaze with painted oxides
§
decorate over a glaze by trailing or spattering a
second glaze
§
applying clear glaze evenly and smoothly over
colored slip
*INDICATES
THAT A PROJECT WILL BE GRADED