Ms. Grover IN THIS COURSE YOU WILL LEARN…  the production of functional and non-functional pottery, as well as sculptural objects.

Please follow along with the PowerPoint and take notes This is IMPORTANT information on ceramics Daily grade given for being on task and participating; if you are off task, talking, or sleeping you will loose points You will be quizzed on this information and will need to pass the quiz to start working in the ceramics studio.

What is Clay? Clay is......a fine mixture of decomposed igneous rock materials and organic matter Clay is continuously being formed

Over time, exposure to the elements cause the materials to break down into smaller and smaller pieces Boulders Rocks Pebbles Fine grain materials that make up clay

Objects made from any type of clay that is fired with the aid of heat Old Iranian woman making pottery oldest method.

History of Ceramics It is hypothesized that ceramics came about when humans 1 st learned to control fire Archeologists suspect that pinch pots are the oldest form of pottery.

Neolithic Era Pottery Neos (New) Lithos (Stone) New Stone Age 10,200 BC to 4500 BC Farming Animal Husbandry Storytelling with cave paintings Decorative clay pottery

Greece 1600 B.C Due to the quantity of Ancient Greek pottery that has remained intact over time, archeologists have been able to better understand and piece together ancient Greek society. Paintings and documentation have not preserved as well as pottery. 6 ft. tall coil built pottery

By about 500 A.D., early Puebloan life had begun to focus on agriculture although people still hunted and gathered wild foods. This is when coil pottery first appeared in the Southwest United States. Various functional pottery forms began to take shape to assist with storing grains and liquids, and preserving seeds for the next planting.

Pots were widely used as funerary objects in prehistoric burial grounds Contained food to accompany dead on journey to the afterlife Infants and small children Ceramic figurines and animals to protect the deceased.

Terracotta Warriors Form of funerary art - buried with the First Emperor of Qin (He first emperor of China in 221 BCE.) Their purpose was to help him rule in the afterlife. Architects are currently still excavating

Hand Building : Process of forming pieces using hands without the use of a potter’s wheel; 30,000 years old

The earliest and simplest methods are still used today: Three Basic Hand Building Techniques: 1.Pinch Method ( oldest method ) 2.Coil Method 3.Slab Method

Pinch Method …Is when clay is pulled and pinched in order to shape an object with fingers Is the oldest form of ceramic hand building

Pinch Pot

Two Pinch Pots Combined to create a hollow form:

Coil Method …Is when long ropes/coils of clay that are of equal thicknesses are used to build a ceramic object.

Coil Building

Coil Built

Slab Method Is a method of rolling out clay flat to an equal thickness Slabs can be cut into shapes and used to construct ceramic objects

Slab Method

Slab built

Potter’s Wheel : a machine that forms pottery using a wheel

Wedging: Process of slamming, kneading, or pushing clay

1.Removes air bubbles trapped in the clay 2.Equalizes moisture 3.Makes clay texture uniform 4.Re –forms smaller pieces into one big one ** You MUST always wedge first BEFORE using your clay.

Joining Techniques Score : scratching the edges of clay with a tool in order to join two pieces together. Slip : A fluid suspension of clay in water used in joining clay pieces and for surface decoration. Stick and Smooth : press and seal two pieces together.

1.Slurry/Slip: Liquid clay; “glue” required to attach two pieces of clay together or for surface decoration. 2.Plastic clay: Wet/Soft; workable; easily manipulated ** IDEAL 6 Stages of Clay:

The ability to hold together while being shaped. (workability) Is the quality of clay that allows it to be easily manipulated and still maintain its shape. (Does it stretch and bend without breaking?) Ideal texture for clay = play dough Test It! Wrap a coil around your finger. If it cracks, the clay is not plastic. Plastic Not Plastic Create the Coil

All clay contains water. Clay dehydrates when exposed to air. Add water to clay to make it more plastic. Too little or too much water causes clay to become less plastic. Tip: Mist clay with damp sponge. ALWAYS wrap your projects with plastic before storing. Moisture

3. Leather Hard: The stage between plastic and bone dry when clay is dried but may still be carved or joined to other pieces. *not easily distorted

4. Bone-dry/ Greenware Stage of drying when moisture in the clay body has evaporated so the clay surface no longer feels cold. Unfired pottery or sculpture. ** Clay becomes lighter in color

5.Bisque: ceramic ware that has gone through the first firing at a relatively low temperature and still maintains its porous state.

6. Glazeware: Ceramic ware that has been fired at a high temperature with glaze, which forms a coating of glass onto the surface.

Glaze: A coating of liquid glass that is applied to a clay surface that melts together and forms a decorative and protective surface Always shake glaze before using,

Glaze also makes your ceramic piece: Colorful Food Safe (check glaze label) Water Proof

Use Underglazes to Paint on Pottery Underglazes are used in pottery to Create patterns and designs to the surface Of the clay before it is glazed.

Clay Safety Tips Little bits of clay that end upon the surface of your table are harmless. However, when they are brushed onto the floor these crumbles break down into smaller and smaller particles which then scatter into the air you breathe. CAPTURE CLAY DUST WITH WATER. Use a wet sponge to clean tables, tools, wheels, and sinks. Brooms and brushes make dust.

Clay may be recycled through the bone dry stage by simply rehydrating R*E*C*Y*C*L*E * Once clay has been fired it becomes permanent – it can no longer be recycled

The Kiln: Chamber for firing your clay Clay MUST be Bone Dry to fire You must fire your clay for it to become permanent

Kiln A kiln can reach temperatures of 2,500 degrees F. and higher Your oven at home possibly reaches 500 degrees - at the most

View inside The Kiln

8-12 hours to heat to maximum temperature hours to cool hours for firing cycle

Functional = pottery that serves a purpose or does a job. Example: dishes, vases, bowls, cups or plates

Non-functional or Sculptural

Aesthetics: The visual beauty or pleasurable qualities of an object

Incising: carving or cutting into the clay surface with a tool

Golden Rules of Ceramics Always WEDGE clay first. Always Score, slip, and press when joining two pieces of clay. No trapped air! – poke escape hole! Clay must be no thicker than the tip of your thumb. Always cover clay fully with plastic bag so it won’t dry out.

Ceramics/Pottery Slab carving and stain Coil built Historical Reproduction Coil built, carved and burnished. Wheel thrown pottery and mugs