Carving into some simple pinch pots

Here are some images of the Merrylands art students from Ms Ollivain's Year 10 class making some simple pinch pots, which they have put some blue slip down, and then carving into them.

Some carved using pencils, others used small metal loop tools.

Some of the fantastic boxes being made at Merrylands.....

We have painted underglaze on some of these boxes, and I've shown them how to use silkscreens to print imagery on the sides...

Afternoon class using the pottery wheels at Fairvale....

Here I am demonstrating throwing on my Shimpo which I took into Fairvale.

Opening up the centred clay.

Some of the student's fired works. Using Japanese tissue transfer designs sold by Blackwattle Pottery.

Good work!! Lovely bowl...

Using Stamps on Clay

A demonstration of how to make textured vases using Indian wooden block textile stamps...A foam block is in the clay to support it.

I give the foam block and stamps a spray with olive oil.

Demonstrating Print on Clay at Fairvale

Some images of my demonstration of how to use silkscreens to transfer images onto ceramic forms.

A demonstration of screening directly onto a clay tile. The clay is leather hard. It should be smooth and not sticky and you can simply screen a slip, or an underglaze on the clay tile. 

Or you can screen onto lunch wrap tissue paper. But for that, you need to use a special printing ink - one that is sticky so it will stay on the tissue paper long enough to later be transferred to the clay. The Ceramic Glazes of Australia Black Printing Ink is great for this. Their website is: http://www.cgaust.com.au

Applying the tissue (just use lunch wrap paper) to the back of the bisqued pot. Press firmly. Sometimes a squirt from a water spray bottle on the pot beforehand, will help dampen the clay surface enough to take the image better.

Ms Haberecht also shows the students how it's done! 

Works in Progress At Fairvale:

Under the excellent inspiration of their regular art teacher Ms Haberecht, and with my input, these students at Fairvale got stuck into the coiling, hand-building, printing images on their fantastic creations as part of the Artist-In-Residence Program!