Improving Creativity in the Education Sector
Pottery
Pottery is one of the oldest decorative arts. It consists of objects made of clay which are then hardened with heat. The objects made are commonly useful ones, such as bottles/vases for holding liquids or bowls and plates for food.
There are various types of clay, including: Earthenware, Stoneware and Porcelain. All having different qualities and firing temperatures, they can be distinct in their appearance and usage. Oxides can be adding through the process to add colour and effects with sometimes spectacular results.
Unfortunately not having a kiln, but being lucky enough to gain some air dry clay for Christmas, I wanted to make small items which would be brought together in one larger collaborative piece. I decided to stick with the previous nature theme and make feathers. These could be created free hand or using cutters then decorated to represent a specific bird, Eg: Blackbird, peacock, parrot, blue tit, etc... To create a display, they could be hung from a decorative indoor tree with additional facts which have been researched from the children.
Sadly all the feathers cracked upon drying and were unusable. On evaluation they were made too thinly and dried out too quickly. I have since found out that creations should be placed in a low, dry heat with consistent temperature. Obviously this is different for kiln dried products but air dried clay is financially viable for schools so potentially a better option. More practise and research is needed in pottery/ceramics to ensure products are finished to the best possible standard. Five hours was spent creating the feathers in bulk but they took approximately three days to dry.
This week I visited two care homes and decided to embrace spring, so a theme was chosen based around this, 'Birds & Blossom'. Images were pre-printed of common garden birds which residents may recognise such as Blackbirds, Blue-Tits, Chaffinch, Robin, etc.. and used for inspiration. Whilst flower templates were encouraged to be bright and beautiful. The end results were pleasantly hung in the home for the residents to take pride in.
