Debra Disman

Artist

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Pinch pot Technique

The (Clay)Work of Our Hands

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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 III

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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

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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.

enRICHment I

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enRICHment I

Working in clay with first to fifth graders…through Santa Monica’s CREST Enrichment program, at Santa Monica Public Schools…after school.


We started with pinch pots.


and then moved on to coil pots, using small balls of clay to roll the coils,


and spiral them into the bottom of the pot.


Some chose to smooth out their coils, so that the beginning or bottom of their vessel looked like a slap, or flattened piece of clay upon which curving coil walls could be built.


As more coils were added and gently pinched together, the pots grew.


Focused work for busy hands.


Here a group at another school creates faces carved, incised or built upon slabs of clay “gently pounded” into flat slabs, a second experience with slab technique, now combining slabs and coils.

The clay, magical earth, which rocks and rolls, and finds expression, or gives it, to the young makers.

 

Clay Play (2)Too

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Clay Play (2) Too

It is joy to work with these amazing (no, I am NOT biased!)  students after school, creating in our CREST Enrichment   “Hand Building with Clay” class.  Above are our pinch pot pieces, drying in my studio.

Below, students  in first through fifth grades learn to roll coils and join them together to create potentially large vessels…adding texture, leaving the texture created by the coils, or flattening out that texture to create a whole other look and feel.

Building up the pots step by step,

by rolling the coils, and pinching the end of one onto the beginning of the next.

Beginning with a spiral to create the bottom or “floor” of the pot.

Building up with coils takes patience, dedication, effort.

Starting with balls of clay, which are then rolled into a simple coil shape between the hands…

students then elongate the “rolls” (coils) on the table, trying not to flatten them out.

One coil is rolled into a spiral to create the bottom of the vessel.

The bottom of the pot can be smoothed out if desired…

and then built upon with the next coils.

How amazing to think that it begins with a deceptively “humble” mound of clay, air-dry clay in our case… and an intention learn, build and create.

I say, Bravo!