LAKES REGION COMMUNITY COLLEGE

379 Belmont Road

Laconia, NH 03246

(603) 524-3207

COURSE OUTLINE/SYLLABUS SHEET

·  COURSE NO: LART 1450

·  COURSE TITLE: THE CLAY EXPERIENCE I

·  CREDIT HOURS: 3

·  SEMESTER: FALL 2010

·  INSTRUCTOR NAME: W. JAMES LOCKE

·  E-MAIL ADDRESS: or

·  OFFICE LOCATION: CAT 124 Clay Studio

·  CONFERENCE HOURS: Before and after class or by appointment.

Sometimes additional time or one-on-one assistance is needed. The instructor is normally available during the conference hours listed above, or you may make an appointment with the instructor for other times.

·  PREREQUISITES: None

·  COURSE DESCRIPTION: An overview of basic techniques and processes of working with clay. Topics include hand-building and wheel methods, glazing and firing. This course will fulfill a humanities or liberal arts requirement for all majors. Fine Arts majors are directed to LART 2450 as their elective.

·  TEXT/INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT NEEDED: The college

will provide all of the supplies needed in the course. No textbook is required. Reference works will be available. Students are asked to purchase a small sketch book.

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·  GRADING: ATTENDANCE TO ALL CLASS SESSIONS IS EXPECTED.

·  This, like any class in an art form, will have students of varying backgrounds and abilities in that medium. Students should be able to demonstrate a competency according to their experience in the aspects of clay set out in the course description and the time line. One should note one’s achievement in one’s “book of ideas”.

·  Grades will be determined using the following criteria;

·  Attempting each technique after the instructors demonstration.

·  Recording one’s progress in one’s “book of ideas” and the discussion of each project with the instructor.

·  Spending all of the class time working in the medium.

·  Participation in activities/projects related to the medium (including a presentation at the last class meeting).

·  Completion of all experiences and or projects in the medium.

·  Improvement in facility with clay and creative efforts.

Final grades will be calculated as follows;

80% for all class work and finished projects.

20% for “book of ideas” and final presentation.

Grading Scale:

A 93-100
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89 / B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79 / C 73-76
C- 70-72
D+ 67-69 / D 63-66
D- 60-62
F 0-59

·  COURSE OUTCOMES/COMPETENCIES:

·  STUDENTS WILL:

·  Gain an understanding of the historic significance and of the trends in pottery/ceramics.

·  Gain a facility in a variety of hand-building techniques, such as slab, coil, and pinch methods

·  Gain facility in wheel-thrown techniques

·  Gain a basic understanding of glaze chemistry and the firing process.

·  Gain a knowledge of clay as an art form.

·  Explore a personal expression through clay.

The instructor will demonstrate all aspects of the required experiences. Students should feel comfortable in the class, as it is the rare person who does not have an intrinsic understanding of clay, however, the wheel is always a challenge.

·  COURSE SCHEDULE AND OTHER INFORMATION:

The clay experience 1 meets Tuesday and Thursday from 4:00 P.M. to 6:45 P.M.

Clay is the oldest and most versatile creative medium.

WORKING SUCCESSFULLY IN ANY ASPECT IN THIS MEDIUM MEANS A SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN THAT ASPECT.

Clay has the unique qualities of being both additive and detractive (one can add on or one can take away).

The history of clay works is the history of humankind.

Students will experience several aspects of working in this medium, such as sculpture as well as pottery. Students should develop a knowledge of clay related crafts, from the utilitarian to the decorative, from ancient shards to modern pieces. Students are asked to ‘document’ their progress, ideas, research and designs in a “book of ideas”. The time line is a guide to this class.

TIME LINE FOR THE CLAY EXPERIENCE I ----We will generally follow this time line so we should refer to it regularly --- it contains all of the required and suggested experiences for this course.

At one of the first few meetings of this course, students should give the instructor (in writing) the major project that that student will work on (this is done as well as all of the other requirements listed). This major project will be what is presented to the group at the final meeting of the class. This will consist of pictures from research as well as examples made in class. This project should have some historical significance in the history of humankind’s use of clay. More on this will be discussed in class.

THE STUDENTS WORK AREAS AND THE ROOM SHOULD ALWAYS BE LEFT CLEAN AND ORGANIZED AT THE END OF EACH CLASS.

THERE IS NEVER A TIME WHEN THERE IS NOTHING TO DO. STUDENTS CAN ALWAYS WORK ON A TECHNIQUE THAT IS ALREADY TRIED WHILE WAITING FOR THE NEXT “PROCESS”.

ALL STUDENTS SHOULD EXPERIENCE THE WHEEL AS THE INSTRUCTOR IS DEMONSTRATING OR SOON AFTER. STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE AN EXPERIENCE WITH THE KICK WHEEL AS WELL AS WORKING REGULARLY ON THE ELECTRIC ONES.

STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ‘CATCHING UP’, SHOULD THEY MISS ANY WORK.

THERE ARE NO DATES IN THE TIME LINE, WE WILL EXPERIENCE THE EXERCISES IN THE ORDER THAT THE CLASSES MEET.

CLASS 1.

MAKING THE CLAY BODY BEHAVE THE WAY YOU WANT IT TO.

Making a ‘pinch pot’ and a coiled pot.

EXPLAINATION: Often times one will start a piece with an idea as to how the outcome should be, only to have the piece collapse or stretch way out of shape. Making a seemingly simple “pinch pot” (it really isn’t pinched but is pushed and pulled into shape) is a good way to see how clay can behave and how each one of us can grasp how to manage that clay body (many ‘clay bodies’ have their own distinct attributes).

The coil method of building vessels and sculpture is probably the oldest and most widely used method of working in this material. It is again, a good lesson on how clay can behave. One can use round coils or flattened ones. One can fill in the spaces between the coils by pushing and pulling from the coils themselves (this is where one has to be careful not to push or pull or pinch the piece out of shape) or one can fill in the spaces with smaller and thinner coils.

Students should try these techniques and continue them until that person is confident that they, the person making the object, is in control. THE COIL METHOD OF BUILDING IS ONE THAT WILL BE USED THROUGH-OUT THE COURSE AND IS ONE THAT STUDENTS CAN GO BACK TO WHEN OTHER PROJECTS ARE COMPLETED. Students should work, whenever possible on a dampened plaster surface since the clay object is less apt to stick to this kind of a surface. Students should, whenever possible work at eye level and at a turn table, especially for large items.

ASSIGNMENT:

MAKE SEVERAL SIMPLE DESIGNS FOR A PIECE OF POTTERY FOR THE NEXT CLASS SESSION. THIS WILL BE EXECUTED USING THE COIL METHOD.

DON’T DO SCRIBBLES ON A PIECE OF SCRAP PAPER, BUT WELL THOUGHT OUT SKETCHES IN YOUR ‘LOG’ FOR THIS CLASS.

CLASS 2.

Using the coil method, students will make one or more pieces from the designs that were due to be done for this class meeting.

These are to done with real care, if a project does not follow the design, than the clay is dictating and not the maker---- when the maker shows that the clay is following his or her design, than the maker is dictating and this is where the skill of clay work is at. A few students have found this part of ‘the clay experience’ easy or have learned the notion of dominating the material quickly----most have not and have had to really concentrate on mastering this part of the skill development.

ASSIGNMENT:

DRAW DESIGNS THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO ONE OR MORE OF THE PIECES THAT YOU HAVE MADE. THESE DESIGNS CAN BE ADDED USING MORE CLAY (SOMETIMES OF A DIFFERENT COLOR) OR THEY CAN ‘SCRATCHED’ OUT OF THE CLAY OBJECT. DO THIS FOR THE NEXT MEETING OF THE CLASS.

CLASS 3.

Using the designs that you have made on your own, apply them to the pottery that you already have made or that you make during this class session. You cannot add clay to a piece that has dried, since clay shrinks when it dries. This is one of one of the fundamentals of clay.

WEAR CLOTHES THAT YOU DON’T MIND GETTING CLAY ON FOR THE NEXT SESSION.

CLASS 4.

Wheel demonstration---students will work with the instructor in a step by step demonstration of working on the potter’s wheel. From this class on, whenever they can, students should be practicing their work on the wheel. Students should learn in this course, how to ‘throw’ a pot that is 4 or 5 inches high. Students should also learn the proper (professional) way to trim a pot. Unfortunately, the clean-up with the wheel is time consuming, etc.

AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, STUDENTS SHOULD CONSERVE AND/OR RECYCLE THE CLAY.

WE HAVE TRIED LOCAL CLAY BODIES AND SO FAR HAVE HAD LITTLE SUCCESS WITH THEM, THEREFORE ALL OF OUR CLAY HAS TO PURCHASED.

CLASS 5.

Continue with wheel work—use both kinds of wheels. Continue with coil projects. If possible, glaze items for second firing.

CLASS 6.

In preparation for the coil sculpture of the human head, we will experiment making features such as the eye, nose, lips and ear. We can also work on the wheel---coil pieces, etc.

CLASS 7.

Coil head sculpture—demonstration—it’s a pot upside down. All students are to start this project after or during the demonstration.

ASSIGNMENT: RESEARCH MASKS AND THEIR USE IN HISTORY. SKETCH OUT SEVERAL DESIGNS FOR MASKS.

CLASS 8.

Continue with the head sculpture or wheel work or other ‘unfinished pieces’.

Show the instructor the mask designs that you have made.

CLASS 9.

Mask-making. This should be a really good experience in ‘the clay experience’. The instructor will demonstrate and the students will make one or more masks, using the designs that they have researched.

CLASS 10.

Continue with the mask making—experiment with mixing different colored clays. Continue with other skills.

CLASS 11.

This class will be a time to make a small sculpture such as a puppet. Because of the weight of clay, any puppet that has any size, should be hollow built. Puppets are made with parts that can be strung together for movement. Continue other skills.

CLASS 12.

Demonstration of the slab building technique in clay. Students to make a simple box, etc. using this method.

ASSIGNMENT: DESIGN A SLAB PROJECT TO BE STARTED ON AT THE NEXT CLASS MEETING.

CLASS 13.

Students will render their slab built project, using the design made for this session.

Continue other projects.

STUDENTS SHOULD BEGIN WORKING ON THEIR FINAL PRESENTATION PROJECT AT THIS TIME.

CLASS 14.

Continue with slab projects, final projects, wheel work, glazing, etc., etc.

CLASS 15.

Continue with projects.

ASSIGNMENT: DESIGN TWO OR MORE PROJECTS THAT WOULD COMBINE TWO TECHNIQUES IN ONE EXPERIENCE. FOR EXAMPLE, MAKE A WALL POCKET THAT WOULD MEAN PART WHEEL THROWN AND PART SLAB BUILT.

CLASS 16.

Begin making the items designed for this session combining techniques.

Continue other works.

CLASS 17.

Continue with projects from the previous class, and others.

CLASS 18.

The human form in clay. The instructor will demonstrate a simple ‘pose’ of a human form in clay. Students are expected to make a form like the one that the instructor demonstrated. Students can make a second form in any pose that works for them.

CLASS 19.

Continue with the human form. Integrate the human form with another technique---make a figure that is part of a slab built fountain, for example.

ASSIGNMENT: MAKE A SMALL AND SIMPLE DESIGN THST COULD BE CAST AS A ONE PIECE MOLD.

CLASS 20.

Making and casting a one piece mold from design brought to class. Begin a work that the cast mold pieces can be used on.

ASSIGNMENT: DESIGN A BIRDHOUSE OR A FOUNTAIN OR A SCULPTURE OR WIND CHIMES, ANY OBJECT THAT CAN BE USED IN A GARDEN (AN OUTSIDE PIECE).

CLASS 21.

Continue with mold pieces---catch up with other projects.

Show the instructor the designs for out of doors pieces.

CLASS 22.

This is a meeting to ‘catch-up’ with projects, especially the final presentation ideas. Students should begin to realize that drying process-two weeks or more- will have an impact on the firing schedule and that the final presentation pieces MUST BE IN A FINISHED STATE!

CLASS 23.

Begin the out of door pieces from the designs from research.

CLASS 24.

Continue out of door projects and other items.

CLASS 25.

According to the college calendar this class meets some 31 times. From now until the end of the semester students should be considering such things as demonstrating a simple mastery of the wheel to the instructor and having the instructor checking that off in his records. Making sure that all projects will be finished as stated under “grading” and that they are checked off in the instructors records. That the instructor has checked and checked off the assignments given in each students personal log book. Continue all projects and skills.

CLASS 26.

Continue as class 25.

ASSIGNMENT: DESIGN A WALL HANGING OR A SERIES OF DECORATIVE TILES.

CLASS 27:

Execute the tile and/or wall hanging design.

Continue other projects.

CLASS 28;

Continue with all designs, projects and skills.

CLASS 29:

Continue

CLASS 30 AND 31:

Final project presentations. Private meetings with each student. CLEAN THE STUDIO!