Artist
Hand Building with Clay class at Will Rogers Elementary School with the CREST Enrichment program has been a joy to teach.
Below behold students aged 5-6 get their hands in the “earth”.
We had class on Valentine’s Day, which proved to be an inspiration.
From the heart.
Creating masks in our Hand Building with Clay class at McKinley Elementary after school with the CREST Enrichment program has been a joy. With majority boys in the class, the tempo had to be high energy.
Students learned how to “pound out” slabs (flat) pieces of clay the week before, then created “armatures” (support structures) of newspaper, over which they stretched their slabs, so that their masks would be three dimensional.
It was exciting to watch the students develop their mask characters, inevitably thinking in terms of story…inspired by characters from film, television, and books, but always their own. Students used coil, scoring, incising and even pinch pot techniques to create their mask characters.
Creating detail.
Two faces, in one?
Creating texture!
Inspired by the zombie craze.
Our one young girl in class that day created…a self-portrait?
Creative use of coils…
Figuring it out…
A very coherent expression.
Tattoo?
What is going on here? Perhaps this young maker is working out his feelings through creating.
It would not be the first time…
All hail, the healing powers of Art.
Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten students attend their last (for this session) clay class through the City of Santa Monica’s CREST Enrichment program…after school classes held at a variety of Public Elementary Schools in Santa Monica.
Next week, we paint!
I have taught the students the basics: Pinch, coil and slab techniques. They have created vessels, masks, animals, and more. During this class I demonstrated how to create a small plate, platter or candle holder that could be given as a gift for the holidays, and beyond.
And then, these talented tykes took off with their own ideas!
Small hands are developing the strength and dexterity to form rough balls of clay and roll out coils from them. Sometimes i help this age group along by breaking up clay (air dry in this case) into sections for them to work with.
This little artist with a big personality has really progressed in her coil making. She created a piece by putting together numerous tiny coils.
This young maker recently turned five, and is mastering the coil technique!
Almost there!
This piece is growing….
Mark making in the clay using various tools. These kids amaze me. She saw a brief demo and then just took off creating these textures and designs herself.
Our tools are sourced from simple household items…popsicle sticks, pencils, plastic cutlery, and wood clothespins and toothpicks do the job, and teach the students how the simplest object can be transformed into a tool that becomes and performs magic!
It has been magical to watch these students learn and grow,
Much talent abounds in them.
It is a joy to see, encourage and develop their skills and artistic voices, even, and especially, at this age!
enRICHment IV
Kindergartners have a blast making their own books in Santa Monica’s CREST Enrichment program which provides a variety of after school classes in Santa Monica Public Schools.
Which is more adorable, the book, or the dimple?!
What will happen with “The Three Kittens”?
The smile is the winner, and this little maker is a wonderful writer and visual artist too!
Peruse, cut, paste…
Draw draw draw…one of our most immediate visual art forms…make your Mark!
Industrious and serious writers.
What shall I choose?
Combining the visual and the written…
Kindergartners learning to write, and spell. Impressive.
They create the pages, they fill the pages.
Working with accordion fold / concertina books.
Influencing each others work?!
“Folded Fan Book”: accordion fold spine, with covers and pages attached.
Layering texture, shape and color.
Robert helps us out. Thank you, Robert of the CREST Enrichment program Staff!
An elaborate fairy tale…involving a path, a house, and fairies.
Working side by side, two creative solitudes in community.
This maker has a fascination and love of Mythology…and the Greek gods.
Checking out each others’ work. And each other.
The magic of Washi Tape!
One of our student’s Dads, a fun-loving dentist, joined us for this class…and made his own book
Students thrive in a supportive environment filled with materials, laughter, learning, and patient adults.
We were so fortunate during this class to have both CREST Enrichment program Staff Diana and Michelle be with us, as well as our dentist Dad, and a CREST staff trainee. The students really felt the support!
To. Be. Continued. It is the Story that never ends…Creative Expression.
Let’s keep starting the process young!
enRICHment III
First through fifth graders have a blast pinching, coiling, flattening, carving and incising clay in Santa Monica’s CREST Enrichment program which provides a variety of after school classes in Santa Monica Public Schools.
In this class, we invited parents and siblings to join as, as students painted their clay projects from the past month. A wonderful time was held by all!
“Here’s Lookin’ at You, Kid…”….
Laying out the work…pinch pot, coil and slab techniques.
Getting messy and loving it!
Careful work done by all three.
Painting mask faces.
Primary colors red, blue and yellow are laid out on one plate/palette, while new and inventive colors are mixed on another.
Little brother gets into the act too!
Sad? Mad? Bad? All three?
Sharing a palette.
A rich and colorFULL way to wind down our class, and wind up for summer.
The creative juices are flowing, and ready to take on more challenges.
enRICHment II
Working in clay with Kindergartners…through Santa Monica’s CREST Enrichment program, at Santa Monica Public Schools…after school.
Students “gently pounded” out slabs (flat but not too thin pieces, in this case disks) of clay, and used them as surfaces upon which to create.
They drew into, wrote upon, incised, built onto and punctured the clay to create faces and designs.
Pencils, paper rolls, wooden sticks and of course hands, became their tools of engagement.
The clay is magical earth, which rocks and rolls, and finds expression, or gives it, to the young makers.