I fell in love with clay when I took my first college Ceramics class as a freshman. I enjoyed all of my art classes, but when it was time to choose an area of emphasis for my Art degree I didn’t hesitate…. Ceramics for the win!! I’m not alone in my fondness for clay. Kids of all ages LOVE working with clay!! And teachers can love it, too.... although it can be intimidating to … [Read more...]
Ceramic Sugar Skull Plate for Dia de los Muertos
November 1st and 2nd is a Mexican holiday known as "Dia de los Muertos" or "Day of the Dead"..... an no, it isn't "Mexican Halloween"! It's not meant to be scary, spooky, or morbid, but rather a colorful tradition of honoring loved ones who have passed. I'm blessed to live in an area of the U.S. with a large hispanic population, so this holiday is big here. And the more I learn … [Read more...]
Easy Sugar Skull Ceramic Planter/Pot
As if we needed one more reason to love Trader Joe’s…. THIS sugar skull succulent planter! My students were asking for a project for Day of the Dead, so when I saw these awesome sugar skull succulent planters I knew I had to come up with a good way to make them! So here it is, just in time for Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on November 1 & 2! All you'll need is clay, … [Read more...]
How to Make the Perfect Slip for All Your Clay Projects
When joining two pieces of clay, you’ll have the best chance of them staying joined if you score (rough up the surfaces to be joined) and then slip (paint both scored surfaces with a mixture of clay and water). Clay can sometimes have a mind of its own so this step is a small price to pay to get successful results! Don't skip the slip! But I’ll confess... when I was only … [Read more...]
Unwind with a Relaxing Ceramic “Feeling Sculpture”
This "Feeling Sculpture" may be the most relaxing clay project you’ll ever do. My students loved it so much, they asked to do it again the next week! Ages 5-85 can all have fun with this project that could double as therapy. Credit for this awesome project goes to my daughter’s high school Ceramics teacher, Mr. Emery. He challenged his students to form the clay with their eyes … [Read more...]
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a Ceramic ‘Pot of Gold’
Leprechauns, rainbows, and pots of gold all tell us that St. Patrick's Day is around the corner! We made our pots of gold out of clay so they would last from year to year. While these look like little pots full of gold coins, there's a bit o' trickery here.... the coins are actually attached to a removable lid, so you can hide your real treasure inside! Our pots of gold … [Read more...]
Say, “I Love You” with Clay
There’s something about ceramic projects that makes them such special keepsakes. Maybe it’s the permanence of the glazed and fired clay, able to last well beyond a generation. Maybe it’s the tactile nature of the medium itself and the way it reveals each impression left by the artist’s hands. Or, maybe it’s that there tend to be fewer of these projects than the more common 2D … [Read more...]
Colorful Clay Leaves
There seems to be a universal appeal when it comes to projects with leaves! Young or old, male or female.... who doesn't like leaves?? This project is quick and easy, hard to mess up, and offers a "wow factor" as the vein impressions make these ceramic leaves look incredibly realistic! So, go out and gather some leaves while you still can. Big ones (like these) are fun, but … [Read more...]
The Cure for Dry Hands!
We art teachers probably wash our hands as often as doctors! When you combine this frequent hand-washing with cold winter weather, and whatever medium we've currently got our hands in, it takes a nasty toll on our skin. After so many years of trying different lotions and still having rough, dry hands, I had all but resigned myself to this fate! But when I started working … [Read more...]
Ceramic Sugar Skull Plates for Dia de los Muertos
(See my "new and improved" version of this project here.) Dia De Los Muertos (or Day of the Dead, November 1-2) is one of my favorite holidays…. I love the colorful imagery and the focus on honoring loved ones who have died. So when one of my students requested that we do a ‘Sugar Skull’ project in ceramics class, I was all for it! I assumed I could find a plethora of Ceramic … [Read more...]