Playing with Clay – The Seven Box Project

What I learned in school this week…

In ceramics we have our first project; to create seven boxes using three basic techniques: pinch pot, slab-building, & coiling, or a combinations of any of them.

We don’t have a lot of time in class to do this. At least not if I use my usual methods of working. You see, I usually make a load of slabs and keep them soft-leather hard under plastic, so I can pull out what I need and build as I desire. I should be able to do the same with pinch pots and coils, except I don’t have as much space at school to store my clay parts. So, I’ll need to adapt somehow. They are all going to have to be small sculptures (about 16cm high) so I should be able to get away with working with the wetter clay and storing everything to dry slowly to leather hard, before jumping on finishing and fussing with surfaces. The teacher wants us to play with engines and burnishing too. We shall see as it goes along.

I’ll try to document the progress on a weekly basis.