2 of 12

What are the special qualities of clay that allow it to be both sculptural and functional?

The special qualities of clay that allow it to be sculptural and functional include are the overglaze and the texture. When we glaze our clay and put it into the kiln than it becomes waterproof which makes it more functional. Before we put the clay in the kiln it is wet/raw which allows us to sculpt and mold it.

What knowledge and basic actions does one need to make a successful piece of creating with clay?

To make our clay successful we have to make sure that there aren’t any air bubbles. We do this by wedging the clay by slipping and scoring the clay.

Essential Questions

3 of 12

The kiln makes the pottery harden and it also makes it waterproof so that it’s more functional.

How is the kiln involved in pottery production, and how does the clay change after firing?

How do artists and designers document the development of their artistic process and why?

Artists can document their work by taking pictures and by recording their steps/process. It is critical for artists to document because it is how they can learn from mistakes and how others can learn from it.

Essential Questions

4 of 12

Final Artwork- Theme

I included flowers inside the coil to reveal the important truth that we should judge people by their personality rather than judging them by our first appearance of them on the outside. I think this is an especially important message for many middle school students because we often make assumptions about a person by the way they look, making us miss out on an opportunity to form a new friendship.

5 of 12

Process of Planning- draft

6 of 12

Process of Planning-three coil designs

One of my coils were these little balls. I put them in between the other coil design to make my vessel more functional

I used this coil design because I wanted to put things in between them to help convey my theme.

7 of 12

Process of Planning-objects related to theme

I chose to include Flowers in my design to help convey my theme. The flowers represent beauty and how it can be misleading.

8 of 12

Process of Planning-function and display

Function: I created my design so that there wouldn’t be many holes or gaps in it because I wanted it to be functional. I think that my vessel is the right size to put keys and other small objects in it.

Display: I chose a color scheme of blue, yellow and pink because I thought that these colors were summery and would go well in my summer house. I think I could put it near the entrance of the house so that people could leave their keys in it.

9 of 12

Bisqueware Stage- clay that has been fired once and is ready to be glazed, stained or painted

10 of 12

References

I did not have a reference for the flowers. I just made them myself.

11 of 12

Critique

What was good?

I think that I did a good job getting all of the air bubbles out by wedging and slipping/scoring the clay. I also think that my theme was very clear and the colors of my glaze went really well together. In addition, I included multiple flowers instead of just one.

How could I improve?

I can definitely improve in many areas. Next time I do a similar project to this I will try to include more types of coils and also work harder to make the clay smoother and cleaner in general.

12 of 12

Conclusion

During this project I learned that clay is very difficult to work with. You have to be very careful while working with it so that it is a successful project and will “survive” the kiln. Therefore Clay is not my favorite material to use but I think that with more time and practice I will eventually love creating projects with it. In my opinion I created a great learning environment for my peers and was very helpful with clean up.