Functional Pottery
This project fell closer to the end of the semester in Ceramics I.
By this point in the semester, students had explored a variety of different techniques to create ceramic objects and small vessels. This project afforded students the chance to design and create larger objects that were meant to be used. Students had the choice of using drape mold, press mold, or stiff slab techniques to create a set of two or more pieces that went together. We used a flipped-classroom model where students were responsible for watching pre-recorded demos of the technique(s) they planned to use, then asked me questions before they began their construction. This process worked great — students didn’t have to sit through two days of demos and I didn’t have to lose my voice! Running the project this way also enabled students to rewatch the videos if they needed reminders.
The students’ creativity with this project amazed me. Students pushed themselves to create rose teacups, cat food and water bowls, ring dishes, incense holders, and the most fabulous Alice-in-Wonderland inspired pitcher. Many students also really enjoyed making something that they had an intended use for, and took advantage of the larger space for decoration!
