The monster theme of this week-long summer camp opened up countless imaginative possibilities. I also found ways to incorporate biology and history into the art projects, including a creature feature mug, a cave habitat (monsters included), and a bowl that somehow reflected a historical mythical monster, such as Cyclops.
At the end of the week, students spent time outdoors collecting found object stamps and mark-makers. They then constructed a giant slab from clay scrap and used these objects and their own footprints to make Monster Prints. This group project encouraged a lot of interaction and exploration after a week of solo work.
The most memorable teaching experience is at home with my own children where old drop cloths become giant transparent canvas walls and you’re never too young to sketch with charcoal. Together, we explore erosion, analyze insects and worms, paint with erupting chalk, and freeze and melt random objects.
There are so many ways to learn creatively and I love sharing these moments with my kids.
The ancient Egyptian theme of this summer camp allowed me to merge art with math and geometry. The featured group project was a replica of the Great Pyramid of Giza, an impressive 30" x 30" x 30" structure.
Along the way, students solved problems, like how to support the structure from the inside or maintain the triangular profile. I also assigned roles, such as brick-maker, mason, and foreman, an effective strategy for encouraging cooperation amoung a group of 6-11 year olds.
Other aspects of Ancient Egyptian society, such as hieroglyphs, jewelry, and religious artifacts provided plenty of inspiration for individual projects throughout the week.
This weekly adult class offered an intimate setting for me to share some of my own means and methods for constructing slab-built vessels.
A primer course invested 4 weeks in the designing and building a bisque mold. I placed emphasis on taking the time to sketch before sculpting the mold and then testing the mold before finalizing the form.
When putting the mold to use, I encouraged students to accentuate construction joints and use these lines to guide the shape of the vessel. Check out the Drafted Vessels section of my CERAMICS gallery to view examples of this series.
This camp explored social sciences, geography, and history through clay. Each day, I took students to a different continent and time period. One day, we looked at ancient Greece and Rome before creating amphora wall hangings. Another day, I showed examples of Islamic art; then we worked on pattern and created tile boxes.
The group project was inspired by historic adobe villages of North America. Students explored the pueblo lifestyle by re-creating it in clay. They worked together to combine all of the elements of a village and created a truly fantastic project.
