STUDENT WORK

Clay

Clay is a great material for makers of all ages. It’s forgiving, easy to manipulate and many makers love how it feels in their hands.

A small clay figurine exudes personality by virtue of the maker’s choices. Green clay, an atypically shaped base, and visible lines between segments result in a whimsical, potbellied snowman-like character.

Four small clay Angry Bird figurines. Two are red, one is yellow, and three smaller blue ones are stacked on top of each other.

A yellow "birdion" figure made out of yellow and brown clay. There are multi-colored clay feathers at the torso and a red and a yellow feather for wings tucked behind the figure. It sits on the left side of an open journal page with a student’s sketch of the figure on the right.

A fantastical birdion sketch gets reinterpreted as a 3D clay object.

The photo on the right shows a small clay octopus wearing a hat and sits next to a clay sombrero. The picture on the right shows an abstract clay figure with spirals and spikes.

Using multiple clay manipulation techniques–rolling, pressing, coiling–yields a wide range of shapes and objects. What world might the waving character on the left live? Perhaps in place that includes the fantastical cactus on the right.

A cardboard boat held together with masking tape. A narrow wooden dowel is in the center and a clay person wearing an orange vest and purple shorts stands beside it.

Once the sailboat was complete, it clearly needed a passenger! While clay is still moist and flexible, called the plastic state, students can have fun and go BIG, making large pieces for their worlds.