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Carving / Piercing a Pottery Bowl : How to carve clay

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Pottery: clay lantern, part 4: carving | Poterie

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Pottery: clay lantern, part 2: the top | Poterie

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Everybody needs a good challenge to help them grow! Cut-design was a new technique that I wanted to introduce my high school students to. They were ready for a challenge! We had done slab construction and the throwing wheel in the past and we had done lots of additive hand-building, but it was time to take it to the next level! They needed to learn some advanced techniques. So the cut-out design lanterns project was exactly what they needed.

While researching cut out-design techniques I cam across Lakeside Pottery Studio (Pagoda Lantern), this is an AWESOME website and valuable ceramic resource for any teacher or ceramic artist! I wrote this lesson building upon previous slab lessons and adding the new Cut Out-Design technique.

Resources: Lakeside Pottery Studio (Pagoda Lantern), Amaco-Lantern to Light.

This lesson plan was written by Michelle C. East
Objectives:

Students will be able to define the given clay vocabulary.

Students will learn slab construction and hand building techniques.

Students will draw at least two preparatory sketches of ideas for their lantern.

Students will create a slab constructed lantern while exploring cut-out design and texture.

They will demonstrate good craftsmanship using slab and hand-building techniques.

Materials: ceramic supplies (canvas boards, clay (low fire earthenware), modeling tools, rolling pins, slats, glazes-low fire), Exacto knives, paper towels, newsprint for tables

Preparation
* Wedge the clay into grapefruit-size balls, 3-4 per child plus a few extra. OR ** show them how to cut from the blocks of clay
* Cover the work area with Masonite boards or canvas.
* Set out the clay, needle tools, containers of slip or water, and the guide sticks "slats"

Day 1 Delivery: Ceramics Intro

Overview-Clay Building Methods: (all of these may be used)
1. Hand-building: building pots using the only the hands and hand-held clay tools
2. Slab: clay is rolled into thin sheets or slabs and then formed into shapes or forms.
3. Pinch: shaping clay by inserting the thumb of one hand into the clay and lightly pinching/ pressing with the thumb on the inside and fingers on the outside while slowly turning the clay to enlarge the center opening of the clay.
4. Coil: creating ceramic forms by rolling out coils of clay and joining them together by the slip & score method.

Stages of Dryness
1. Wet
2. Leather hard
3. Greenware or Bone dry
4. Bisquesware (first firing)
5. GlazeWare (second firing with glaze)

Day 1 Activity #1-2: Slab Construction Into -Teacher Guided Demo
1. Teacher will demo each technique then have student practice rolling out a slab. (Save & store wet for next class)

a. Rolling the Clay: Place guide sticks the thickness of the desired slab on each side of the clay ball. The guide sticks need to be positioned so that a rolling pin can ride on top of both of them. Throw the clay down at an angle to get the flattening process started. Starting from the center of the clay and roll away from yourself. Roll only to the edge of the clay. Return to the center and roll towards you using the same pressure. Pick up the clay & flip it over, this helps prevent the clay from sticking to the canvas board. Repeat these steps, until the clay is flush with the guide sticks and cannot be flattened any more.
b. Demonstrate to students how to store their slabs (on boards, in bags & how to twist & wrap the rubber bands).

2. Students will work on designs for their clay lanterns in their sketchbooks.

Day 2-6: Template & Construction of Lantern

Go over project handout.
Project Objective: Explore Slab Construction (BOX or cylinder), Cut-Out Design, & Texture

SLAB Construction Method: Teacher Demo (Day 2-3)

See Ceramic Box with Lid Lesson for Slab Lesson

1. Create a template: on a piece of paper draw out the EACH of the separate pieces to your clay lantern.

1. Activity: Create a paper template for each structural piece you will cut out of clay. Get out a ruler and make precise measurements of the dimensions of your piece.

2. Draw a template for EVERY slab piece the EXACT size you need it to be:
1. 4 Sides (2 sides can be different)
2. Bottom
3. Top or Roof- can be slab or pinch pot

3. Roll slabs (it will probably take several depending on the size of your lantern) & use templates to cut all the pieces for your lantern
Apply Texture to slab before cutting out templates. (Day 4)
a. Two ways to apply texture:

1. Use texture plates to press into the slab. Best done BEFORE construction of the lantern. Make sure clay is not super soft or the plates will stick to the slab & mess it up.

2. Press texture into the clay using various hand tools or objects. Best done AFTER construction of the lantern.

4. Score and Slip - (DEMO) In order to attach two pieces of clay, you must use the score and slip method. (Day 4-6)

1. Score or scratch both of the surfaces that will be joined several times with a needle tool and apply a small amount of slip or water on both sides. Be sure not to over-wet the clay, too much water will cause it to become too soft, slimy, and unworkable.

2. Press & wiggle the surfaces together. If the pieces are not attached with the score and slip method, the slabs tend to pull apart and could pop apart as they dry.

3. To make an even stronger bond, roll a very thin coil of clay and push it inside the joints where the walls meet.

4. Smooth out all joints with a modeling tool or "rib".

CUT-OUT DESIGN (Day 7-9)

1. Cut-Out Design can ONLY be done when the clay is leather-hard. You must leave it out for 30+ minutes to let it get leather-hard
2. Demonstrate how to cut openings-windows & doors. Demo Subtractive and Additive methods.

FINISHING

1. When completely finished, scratch your name into the piece (side or bottom) & set on a bat labeled with your name & today's date in Kiln room to dry. Dry 5-10 days,
2. Bisque Fire: The term bisque refers to ceramic ware that has been fired once without glaze.

Day 10-12: Glaze

Glazing - Applying liquid glazes to the ceramic pieces. Glazes are made from finely ground glass suspended in a liquid. In the presence of heat, the glaze becomes a glassy coating which fuses to the surface.

Glaze Firing - Firing done after glaze has been applied to bisque or (occasionally) green-ware to produce a glass-like surface.
Activity: Apply glaze to bisque-ware lanterns 3+ coats

Student Gallery (at various stages of the project)

This lesson plan was written by Michelle C. East. If you choose to use any of this lesson (written or photos), please link back to this blog Create Art with ME!

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Everybody needs a good challenge to help them grow! Cut-design was a new technique that I wanted to introduce my high school students to. They were ready for a challenge! We had done slab construction and the throwing wheel in the past and we had done lots of additive hand-building, but it was time to take it to the next level!

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Create a textured slab-built lantern. Fire can create tools, transform muddy clay into pottery, and light the darkness. Lanterns were developed to protect a candle's flame from wind and to prevent flickering. This ensured better lighting and helped make light more portable.

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Used indoors or out, candle lanterns and votives offer soft light and protect the flame from breezes. My lantern design is a twist on the old-school paper lantern project-some of you may remember those! The lighthouse lantern has four parts. Its base is a separate piece, and the candle is set on the base with the lantern top placed over it.

Cut Templates
Making a sturdy, multi-use template is essential to many handbuilding projects. I cut my templates out of tag board or old file folders using the following dimensions:

Lighthouse Lantern = 3 paper templates (1)
Body: 101⁄8×8-inch rectangle
Base: 4 inch-diameter circle
Top: 4 inch-diameter circle with a wedge cut out of it
1 strip of clay that is ¼ inch wide × 15 inches long, no template needed

Prepare the Slabs
Begin by rolling a slab of soft clay 3⁄16-¼ inch thick and roughly 15×9 inches. Use a firm rib to compress the clay on both sides. The goal is to compact the clay, not stretch it. If it starts to stretch or you're leaving significant marks in the clay, you're pressing too hard.

Cut the Parts
With the tag-board templates placed on the compressed slab, cut out the shapes with a sharp knife. There are three clay pieces made from the templates, plus the ¼-inch wide strip for the flange for the base of the lighthouse lantern.

With your finger, compress all the cut edges of each piece of clay. Flip each piece of clay over and repeat this process. Compressing the cut edges heals micro tears created when cutting the clay that can lead to cracks later. Wrap the flange strip in plastic and set it aside.

Form the Body
Place the rectangular clay piece with its long side horizontal to you. Use a 1⁄8-¼-inch-diameter dowel to gently compress the clay, creating a line just above and below where you want to cut slits in the clay later (2). This is a crack prevention step to keep the cut slits from continuing farther into the lantern body. Be careful to apply less pressure at the edges of the clay slab than in the middle. Then, if you care to decorate the lantern body with textures or impressions, make these above and below the two impressed lines you created with the dowel (3).

Place a 1-inch dowel against the short end of the rectangular slab and roll it over ¼ inch of the clay edge to create a 45° angle. Carefully flip the rectangle over and repeat this on the other edge to create two complementary beveled edges that will form a strong and stretchable seam. Score both bevels.

Roll one layer of paper towel or newspaper around the exterior of a cardboard tube that's 3 inches in diameter and at least 8 inches in length, then roll the rectangular clay piece around the tube (4). Note: The long edge of the rectangle goes around the tube. Stand the tube with clay wrapped around it upright. Put slip on the scored, beveled edges, score them, then tack and seal the seam together tightly (5). The cardboard tube creates resistance so you can make a tight seam. Slip the cardboard tube out of the clay cylinder. Gently remove the paper towel from the inside of the cylinder. Use the rounded side of the wooden spoon to gently compress the seam inside the cylinder. Set the clay cylinder aside. Don't let it get leather hard. You want it to be quite pliable, but a little firmer than when you made the cylinder.

Create the Top
The circular piece of clay with the wedge cut out will form the conical top of the lantern. Use a ¼-½-inch-diameter piece of metal tubing to punch a hole in the center of the circle (6). The punched out circle of clay will have a small section of the cut-out wedge shape in it. Then, using some tubing again, punch a few additional holes of any size in the circle to serve as heat vents (7). With your finger or a small tool, bevel the cut edge in the circle to a 45° angle. Flip the clay piece over, and bevel the complementary edge. Score both beveled edges, add slip, then seal them together to form a cone (8). Set this aside.

Slit and Belly the Body
Set the lantern body on a banding wheel or a piece of paper you can turn easily. Position yourself so that the cylinder is at eye level. This makes cutting much more accurate. Start cutting beside the beveled seam in the cylinder (see 5), placing the knife's point just below the upper impressed line on the cylinder. Carefully reach the fingers of one hand inside the cylinder to feel that the point of the knife is cutting completely through the clay (9). Repeat this with each slit you cut. Cut straight down (or if you want to get fancy, cut in a curve) to just above the lower impressed line. Make slits around the entire cylinder.

Now place your hand or the back of a wooden spoon inside the cylinder and gently push the slits slightly outward so that they separate. Do this as evenly as possible. If some slits stick together, gently separate them with your knife. Once they're all separated, place the palm of your hand over the rim of the cylinder. Keeping your palm on the rim and moving your wrist only, rotate light pressure around the rim and the slits will bow and separate farther (10). Continue this until you get the desired shape. Turn the form to make sure the slits are bowed out evenly and adjust as needed. Warning: Add pressure bit by bit because once the clay has bowed out it can only be straightened back a little and if you go too fast or press too hard, it can collapse. Allow the bowed form of the lighthouse lantern to set up.

Create the Base
The lighthouse lantern is open at the bottom. The base is a separate piece. Unwrap the 15-inch clay strip made earlier. This will serve as a flange attached to a slab that will hold the lantern in place and designates the spot in which the candle will be set. Coil the strip into a circle that is smaller than the base, making sure to consider the thickness of the lantern body wall so that it will fit around the flange. The flange should sit at least ³⁄ ₈ inch from the edge of the base to assure the top fits over it easily. Cut the flange to size by making a diagonal cut through the coiled clay. Remove the extra pieces of the clay strip, score, slip the diagonally cut edges of the flange, and join them. Score the bottom side of this circle and adhere it to the base (11).

Add the Conical Top and a Final
Once the lantern has set up firmly enough to hold some weight, you can add the top. Take the conical form that you made and score just inside its rim. Also score the rim of the bowed cylinder, add slip, and adhere them together.

Add the final touch to make your lantern unique. Make a decorative finial, then score, slip, and attach it over the center hole in the top (12).

Dry and Fire the Lantern
Dry the lantern on its base slowly. If there are any clay crumbs in the slits, clean them off when the piece is dry or after it's bisque fired. Lastly, one tip about firing-fire the lantern top on its base. Carefully wax and clean the lower edge of the bowed cylinder, leaving at least ¼ inch glaze free to be sure that glaze won't run or stick to the base. Leave the base unglazed. To assure the lantern won't scratch a tabletop, put plastic or cork pads, available at hardware stores on the underside of the base, or use wet/dry sandpaper to sand the bottom after both the bisque and glaze firings.
Marion Angelica is a studio artist and teacher at the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. To see more of her work, visit www.marionangelica.com.
Subscriber Extras: Archive Article and Images

Click here to read Soft-Slab Flower Basket by Marion Angelica, which originally appeared in the November/December 2012 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated.

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Pierced Lighthouse Lanterns - Ceramic Arts Network

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Used indoors or out, candle lanterns and votives offer soft light and protect the flame from breezes. My lantern design is a twist on the old-school paper lantern project-some of you may remember those! The lighthouse lantern has four parts.