Empty Bowls Project
Assignment:
Your assignment is to create three glazed ceramic bowls. You will be required to donate at least one or more bowls to the empty bowls charity.
Objectives
1. I understand the stages of clay.
2. I can use soft slab and slump molds to create a bowl form
3. I can develop the foot and lip of my bowls.
4. I can demonstrate three different glazing techniques on my different bowls.
5. I understand how the empty bowls charity raises awareness of hunger and money for the Hunger Task Force in Milwaukee.
Art Inspiration
The Empty Bowls Project
Empty Bowls is an international grassroots effort to raise both money and awareness in the fight to end hunger.
Every year students and artists donate ceramic bowls to the project, the bowls are sold and the proceeds go to the Hunger Task Force
Local restaurants also contribute by donating soup. Those who purchase a bowl get to try local soups for free!
Glazing Techniques:
For this unit, we will be exploring 3 different glazing techniques, one for each of your bowls. You may use a combination of these glazing techniques in your designs, however, evidence of all three techniques is required.
Inlay
This technique works best for detailed line work!!
The process involved glazing, applying wax, scratching into the wax with a needle tool, and applying contrasting glaze into the scratched lines.
PRO TIP: Make your inlay lines a darker color than the background color
Examples:
Wax Resist
This technique works for looser lines, shapes, patterns or designs. Think of your designs whether they are "paintable".
The technique involves painting wax onto either the clay body or another color and it resists the second color put on top.
PRO TIP: Start with a lighter color and put a darker, contrasting color on top of the resist!
You can also start with clear glaze if you want to see the color of the clay body through the resist.
Examples:
Masking Tape Resist
This design works best for silhouettes or geometric patterns.
This technique involves drawing and cutting a shape out of masking take, taping directly on the clay bowl, glazing with color and wax, and laying another color into the masking tape area.
PRO TIP: Make your masking tape shapes simple, too many little pieces becomes hard to peel off later.
Examples:
Planning & Design
Designing is an important first step in beginning your art work. For this particular project the majority of your designs will be in the glaze process. It is important to understand what types of designs work well with the glazing techniques.
Construction
Making the Bowl:
Step 1: Wedge the clay
Step 2: Roll a slab of clay
Step 3: Drape slab over slump mold
Step 4: Trim extra clay off the bottom with cutting tool
Step 5: Tap clay with stick to form
Step 6: Make a foot or form bottom
Step 7: Smooth out and refine
Video directions:
IMG_7996.MOVFinishing Touches
Before letting your bowl dry finish the bowl in the following ways:
Smooth out the lip
Attach a foot or stabilize the bottom of the bowl
Carve or add any designs to the exterior of the bowl
IMG_7997.MOVAdding a foot:
Balance is KEY!
Smooth out the lip
Construction Do's and Don'ts
DO:
Attach any wet pieces of clay by scoring and slipping
Smooth out all areas with a damp sponge
Add a foot to your bowl so it sits nicely.
Smooth out the lip.
DON'TS:
Don’t chip or crack the clay
Don’t draw with a needle tool on the inside of the bowl (Smooth bowls work better for eating soup!)
Don't leave the bowl unbalanced.
Don't leave any sharp edges.
Skill Builder
Making Glaze Test Tiles
Test tile directions:
Create 4 total test tiles - see the format below
Tile #1 & #2 - Three coats of the same color, sign up for color on the sign up sheet so there are no repeats with other students
Tiles #3, #4 - Experiment with layering glaze colors and/or stains
Label the back of your tiles with your initials and #1-4
Take detailed notes of exact glazes used, how many layers, and in what order.
After firing, write the information on the back of the tile in sharpie.
Our goal is to have a large class set of glaze samples. Everyone will choose a different color combination to experiment with layering the glazes
Grading
Bowl #1- 30 points
Bowl #2- 30 points
Bowl #3- 30 points
Reflection- 10 points
Total: /100 points
Criteria:
Bowl form
Glaze
Effort