Clay Leaves 4th Grade October Art Project West Mercer Elementary Art Enrichment Program

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Lesson Overview 1 Time: – 60 minutes for clay, allow one week to dry before firing – 45 minutes for glaze – Allow the leaves to dry at least one week prior to firing. You can dry them in box lids over the cabinets in the classroom if kiln space is tight. Make sure to put notes on the boxes indicating to which class the leaves belong. Volunteers: 4 Medium: clay Project Overview/Skills – Students will experiment with clay. They will learn to roll a slab and create a dimensional clay leaf. Project modification ideas – Each student could make several leaves in assorted sizes and punch holes to make a mobile. The leaf could be shaped into a dish to hold coins or small treasures or it could be purely decorative. – Make a few extra leaves for absent students and/or in case any break. Do not save leftover scrap pieces--throw them out!

Clay Leaves Materials- from Kiln Room Clay -- 2 bags per classroom (Vashon Red) Scoring tools Plastic knives Rolling pins Pair of sticks- (make sure the sticks are the same thickness--either all with black dots or all with a red “x.”) We may not have enough for all so the students might have to take turns. Water Canvas mats Leaves for pressing into the clay – medium-size green Maple leaves are best – Ask the teacher if he/she wants the students to gather leaves (during recess?). – Otherwise, you can bring these in or have the students bring in a few from home. – Pick botanicals that are about the size of the student’s hand – Do NOT use leaves that are larger because they take up too much space in the kiln, require too much glaze, and tend to break. – Spritz lightly with water and store in a ziploc bag until ready to use. small paper plates or bowls butcher paper or newspaper to cover desks Sample clay leaves Speckled Glazes, assorted colors- scrape the bottoms of the glaze containers to pull up the speckles--they sink to the bottom. Bowls- glazes can be put in yellow bowls and set on the tables to be shared Sponges- slightly damp (for session with glaze to wipe off glaze if put on the bottom of the leaf) Make a few extra leaves for absent students and/or in case any break. Do not save leftover scrap pieces--throw them out!

Artist Examples

Today’s Project Impress a leaf on a slab of clay to make a dimensional, textured leaf

Step 1 – Preparation Choose a good leaf – More pronounced veins the better Desk needs paper or canvas mat cover You need: – Slice of clay- 1/2” thick like a slice of bread – rolling pin – pair of sticks Get out the air bubbles – Air bubbles can explode in the kiln Stand up and drop the clay onto your desk a few times to dislodge air bubbles – Do not over-handle the clay or it dries it out

Step 2 – Uniform thickness Place clay between the two sticks. – The sticks ensure a slab of even thickness. – The sticks should be spread apart to allow the clay to spread as it is flattened, but the sticks should be close enough together to allow the rolling pin to lie on both sticks. – Roll out the clay with the rolling pin. – Make sure the slab is large enough for your leaf before imprinting.

Step 3 – Leaf Imprint Choose a leaf to print onto the clay. – place the leaf vein side down onto the clay and roll over it with a rolling pin. – press hard enough to make a print but do not make the clay too thin. – If leaf particles remain in the clay, don’t worry as they will burn off in the kiln You can use a tool to gently press on the veins to increase the depth of the impression

Step 4 – Cut out the leaf shape Use a plastic or clay knife to cut around the leaf. Be sure not to cut the stem too narrow (don’t cut it as thin as the actual stem). As you cut out the leaf, you can turn the mat to make it easier. Use a lightly damp sponge to smooth out the edges of the cut leaf.

Step 5 - Texture Lay the clay leaf, vein side down, over a small dixie bowl to give it the slightly curled shape of a drying leaf. Write your initials shallowly on the back side of the leaf and include the teacher’s room number.

Step 6 - Drying Leaves will dry for at least a week Fired in the kiln You will glaze after they are fired

Step 7 - Glaze Shake the glaze well to distribute the speckles Apply 2-3 coats of the specialty “speckled glazes” to give the leaves the mottled appearance of a fall leaf. – Glaze liquid does not look like the same color as the fired glaze – DO put glaze on edge of leaf- – Do NOT put glaze on the underside of the leaf (so it doesn’t adhere to the kiln during firing) – You can use several different colors of glaze on edge or top Fire leaf for a second time