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I was in need of a new third grade clay lesson.  I was over on the Facebook Art teachers group asking for ideas earlier this year,  and someone mentioned TP slab vases.  I love clay and I also love making slab raku vases!  This was a workshop I attended a few years ago with art teachers. This is one of my first raku fired pieces.  So here is what I did to give my kids the faux experience. These are pictures of the steps my student's did in two class periods. I wrapped a paper towel around the tube so it can be pulled out when leather hard. I pre-sliced a slab and cut that slab in half.  These rubber texture tools came from School Specialty many years ago. They rolled it on the slab. This helped stretch the clay so that they could overlap a seam. I really encouraged problem solving. A base was scored and slipped onto the bottom. After bisque firing they used two analogous neon oil pastels t...

I have always wanted to attempt to make a Raku piece of pottery. Our local art teacher association had a clay making workshop one day this summer. I signed up and went into this not knowing what to expect. I had a blast just seeing what would happen if you mix fire and clay! I will admit my pottery making was not my personal best, but I quickly created a few sturdy thick slap pieces with red stoneware I acquired from Trinity Pottery. We drove our bisque fired pieces out to Eric Orr's studio for the firing last night. I was only 107 degrees yesterday so.... I was really not looking forward to getting literally toasted. Luckily, he has an air-conditioned part of his awesome studio where we could glaze and cooled off! I learned so much and I am inspired to do it again! [gallery orderby="post_date"]