[Clayart] THROWING & HANDBUILDING

[Mike Gordon]

When I taught h.s. ceramics I had 9 electric wheels and 3 kick wheels for 37 kids, 5 classes. Those that didn’t get to throw did hand building, I started them out with a coil pot, then a pinch pot. From there a slab project by then they were making everything from fountains to large sculptures. We won many prizes at the county fair. One boy just couldn’t get the hang of throwing so I taught him how to pinch large coils to make sculpture. Three weeks later he was selling POO BEARS in the office for big bucks & was taking orders for more! Finally I had to make a mark on the wall where he had to stop because they wouldn’t fit in the kiln. I had one girl who had to stand on a stool to finish the head of a large sculpture she was working on. The trick is to let them do whatever they get interested in & it’s catching for the other kids. Mike Gordon