Building Big at Bishop

For an invitation to view all the pictures email annwynne@verizon.net

Bishop Clay Project June 9-11, 2010

For three days I had the privilege to work with Ms Martin and all the students at Bishop School on a clay project designed to give students the opportunity to use large quantities of clay, experiment, change direction and get to know the medium a little better. The Greek myths, which Ms Vaishnaw read in library class prior to the clay session were used as an inspiration. (The stories are as BIG, like the clay) No products were kept so clay was reused by each class. It was interesting that most students after building with much effort and focus and producing some amazing forms were quite happy smashing their work. (in fact this has a joy all its own) Student built individually and collaboratively.

The time was short, something that our wonderful art teachers have to deal with everyday. Classes are 40 minutes so a student is lucky to have his/her hand on materials for 25 minutes (getting in, getting out, talking about the project) Even so the classes did a good job of digging in and seeing what the clay can do. Students built Cylopes that fell over and figured out that a free standing figure has to be balanced in some way. Some would start with a grand plan of building a volcano or the temple on Mt Olympus and realize they needed to collaborate to get it done. The process was a continual stream of trial and error. Some persisted with their first idea, others changed direction constantly.

Many students, but especially the younger ones, were completely absorbed in the way the clay felt. We joked about spas that offer mud baths and how some children would willingly jump in for full immersion! One of our challenges was to keep the clay moist enough to work well so we had to introduce water and that was a pleasure for these students. Students experimented with slip (a mixture of water and clay) for joining and smoothing.

Most importantly students got to play! I think it is important for children to have rich materials that allow them to express their own ideas. Versatile media like clay let children make their ideas concrete – physical and three dimensional. This grounding in the three dimensional (literally clay is the earth) gives them models for the more abstract work with words and numbers that they are asked to do at an increasingly early age.

Thanks to Robin Cassel, Alison Vaishnaw and the Bishop PTO, Deb Martin, Deb Chisolm and the students of Bishop School.

Hurrah for children! Hurrah for clay!

The following are my notes for the classes

Class Agenda

Introduction-

I’m happy to be here as a guest in Ms Martin’s Art Room at the Bishop School. I am a Brackett parent and I teach art in my home studio in Arlington Heights.

As Ms. Vaishnaw has told you in library you are going to work with clay in art class- lots of clay. You’ll start with a cube like this and I’ll give you more if you need it. See what you can do with this medium. See what the clay can do (demonstrate)

Can you make something tall, flat, round, long, thick, thin, rough, smooth, hollow, solid, layered? What other textures can you make? Artists know the properties of the media they use. Here are some ways you can change the shape of clay and I'm sure you will invent more. (roll, flatten with heel of hand, squeeze, rip, pound, poke, attach)

The Greek Myths are our starting point. They are stories about BIG things

-big land formations

-big gods

-big battles

-big revenges and secrets

How can we make these images in clay, 3D?

Have fun, experiment

Limits

-the only thing small about this project is the time we have. When it is time to stop you will have to stop.

- clay stays on the boards

-you can work alone or together if everyone is happy with the arrangement

-at the end of the class you will gather the clay to the center of your board for the next class to use

-hand washing will be outside in the water bins (can’t use the sink with clay) Use the towels to dry your hands

Materials

-clay cubes in plastic bins (200 lbs-clay boards

-bins for hand washing (5)

-towels

-scrapers

-cups for hydrating at the end of the day

-key images from myths

Images from Myths:

Mount Olympus

Gleaming palace

Gaea Mother Earth

Uranus Lord of the Universe

The Titans and Titanesses

Mountain thrones

The Cyclopes

Ugly sons of Uranus- 50 heads and 100 arms

Tartarus- deepest darkest pit

Cronus and Rhea

Pontus-boundless seas

Volcanoes, Trees, flowers, crevices, sprites, beasts, early man of Mother Earth

Cronus swallows his children

Zeus is hidden in a cave

Amaltheia- fairy goat

Siblings of Zeus- Hades, Poseidon, Hestia, Demeter, Hera

Weapons- trident, sickle, invisibility, lightening bolts

Cronus eats his children

What else do you remember?