Textured Clay Looms Lesson Plan and Artwork by Eric Orr - Sax Art Consultant, North Texas Cross Curricular – Art and Social Studies
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Grades 3-8 Textured Clay Looms Lesson Plan and Artwork by Eric Orr - Sax Art Consultant, North Texas Cross Curricular – Art and Social Studies Description: Pottery and weaving are perhaps man’s oldest crafts. Archaeologists, finding shards of pottery with a woven texture pressed into them, theorize that early man may have discovered how to press wet clay into the bottoms of reed-woven baskets in order to waterproof them. Imagine what happened when early cave dwellers fell asleep with a basket too close to the fire and awoke to no basket, but a hardened clay shell with a basket weave texture pressed into it! Pottery was born quite by accident! This project mixes pottery and weaving in both imaginative and functional ways. Objectives: • Students will learn basic techniques of both pottery and weaving. • Students will create a unique clay loom with a weaving on it using a variety of materials, processes and techniques. Materials: AMACO Warm Brown Stoneware Clay, 58-M, Moist, 50 Lbs. (400264-705) OR AMACO Buff Clay 46-M, Moist, 50 Lbs. 351464-705) AMACO Textured Slab Mold B, Tribal Diamond Pattern (409048-705) AMACO Textured Slab Mold D, Sandwaves Pattern (411394-705) AMACO Designer Push Mold, Moon Theme (407807-705) AMACO Designer Push Mold, Sun Theme (407808-705) Large Polyclay Pattern Cutter Set (443894-705) Alphabet and Numbers Leather Punch Set (408906-705) AMACO’ Artists’ Choice Glazes, Pints, 6-Color Set (409604-705) AMACO Stone Texture Glazes, Pints, 6-Color Set (406475-705) AMACO Opalescent Glazes, Pints, 6-Color Set (405461-705) OR AMACO Rub ’n Buff Sampler Set, .5-oz Tubes, 20 Colors (404747-705) Raffia Needles, Blunt #14, Pkg. of 25 (440462-705) OR Tapestry Needles, Blunt #13. Pkg. of 25 (247221-705) OR Plastic 2-3/4” Needles, Pkg. of 10 (1006422-705) Stylus Sticks, 4-1/2”, Box of 100 (085949-705) 4-Ply Heavy Warp Yarn, 8-Oz., 800 Yards (402616-705) You will also need: Rolling Pin to roll out slabs Fettling knives or Needle Tools Yarns and other items to use as weft in the weaving Brushes and/or sponges to apply glazes Paper, Rulers and Scissors You may wish to use: Clay Slabmaking Complete Kit (409782-705) Rollagraph Roller Stamps, 6-Piece Set (1288658-705) Directions: 1. Discuss what is known about the origins of pottery. 2. Roll out 3/4 to 1 pound of clay (large apple size) to about 1/4" thick. The outer shape may be circular or a rounded rectangle. 3. Texture the whole slab by pressing it onto a texture mold or impressing it with texture stamps or rollers. 4. Cut a paper square or rectangle pattern approximately 3” to 4” in each direction. Place this pattern in the center of the slab and cut around it with a fettling knife or needle tool. Smooth the edges of this “weaving window”. 5. The outside of this loom slab may be trimmed or left natural. 6. Other clay shapes may be added to the slab loom for embellishment. Leaf shapes, flower shapes or other shapes cut with the Cutter tools may be attached with the score-and-slip method of joining. Shapes made with the Push Molds can also be attached. The Alphabet Punches may be used to create the student’s name. 7. Textures may be inscribe or pressed into added shapes. 8. Using a stylus stick, punch out two parallel horizontal rows along the top and bottom of the “weaving window”. Do not make them too close to the window or they might tear out. Make sure the rows are spaced equally and have the same number of holes. Smooth the edges of the holes so that, when the clay is fired, rough edges do not cut the warp threads of the weaving. 9. The greenware loom may be underglazed, overglazed, wiped with a watery underglaze or left raw to be colored after the bisque firing. 10. Dry the looms slowly under paper and boards to keep them flat. When they are bone dry, bisque fire to cone 05. 11. If using a glaze, apply and fire according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you decide not to glaze, paint the loom with tempera or acrylic paint. Rub ’n Buf may be applied over a base coat of acrylic. 12. Warp the loom, stringing with jute or cotton fibers such as the heavy warp yarn. Using a needle may make this easier. Start at the top left corner, tie securely and bring the warp thread down to the bottom left corner, through the hole and through the next hole directly to the right. Then bring the yarn up to and through the next hole on the top row. Keep warping the loom by threading the yarn through the next hole horizontally in the same row and the bringing it up or down to the next hole directly above or below. Be sure to thread through each hole from the back side. 13. Now you are ready to weave colorful and textural yarns and fibers into the warp. Beads, charms and natural objects like sticks and “ grasses may be added to the weft. You could even make your own bisque beads to add. National Standards: Content Standard # 1: Understanding and applying media, techniques and processes. Content Standard #3: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols and ideas. Content Standard # 4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures. Contents Standard #6: Making connections between the visual arts and other disciplines. functions of art to communicate ideas..