HANDBUILDING CERAMICS Spring 2012

Wed. mornings 9 – 11:50 am, April 3 – June 5 (10 wks)

Instructor: Laurie Childers 541-757-9025

Course Objectives

-Increase the students’ understanding of the physics and chemistry of clay, and how it behaves (or misbehaves) during the stages of drying and firing. To increase the technical control that students have over their work.

-Learn new construction skills, discover meaningful artistic avenues, and increase the options that students recognize they have for their ceramic work.

-Increase awareness of design principles for creating more visually satisfying and purposeful work.

cubbies:Mark it with your name, and sign the list with your phone number. Clean it out completely at the end of the term!!

clay:Buy stoneware or porcelain from the bookstore, pick it up here, mark your name on it. ALL CLAY IS FIRED TO CONE 10 HERE. Please do not bring clay from outside, it may melt in the kiln and ruin other pieces and our expensive shelves.

tools:buy at bookstore, or Georgie’s, or thrift shops, or borrow

health and safety: don’t make or breathe dust; don’t eat in here;

and read the back of this page

courtesy: clean up the tables, tools, sinks, floor areas around you

Projects

I believe your own inspiration and goals are the best motivators to learn or develop techniques that will serve you. I will happily prod you along on your own path, or, failing that, give you an assignment. Books and films are great for exploring technical and aesthetic ideas.

Demonstrations will be done by request, usually the following week, unless there is sufficient time immediately.

We will do a salt fire sometime in the term. Date TBA.

Please ask for help, and ask questions – don’t be shy.

Don’t miss the opportunities to learn from your fellow students and their projects. Take the time to walk around and look at their works in progress.

Our final class meeting, June 5, will be SHOW AND TELL. Please save your best work, and your most interesting failures, to show and discuss on that date. Don’t miss!

SAFETY MATTERS!!! and other general information . . .

-Read Acknowledgement of Risk form and sign it.

-How to keep the workspace as clean and safe as possible:

avoid making dust: don’t blow on things; sweep once, slowly

use wet sponges on counters, floors, and tables

use spray bottle to mist areas and collect dust

don’t leave a mess to dry up!

don’t eat in the studio

use an apron, remove glaze and clay from clothing, and wash your apron each week

-Keep our rivers cleaner! Wash away unwanted glaze into the bucket marked “scrap glaze” instead of sewers. Final rinse of tools in the sink.

- OSHA requirements

LBCC can be fined if we are out of compliance with rules.

LBCC pays fee according to how much silica (and other hazardous materials) we use.

No students allowed in the studio or kiln area without staff, faculty, or trained and scheduled volunteers also present. Students don’t make glazes here in the BC.

OPEN LAB TIMES:

Monday 9 am to 1 pm; 4 to 9 pm

Tuesday noon to 1 pm; 4 - 6:30 pm

Wednesday noon to 1 and 4 – 6 pm

Thursday noon to 9 pm

Friday noon – 4 pm

END OF TERM:

last day to put greenware up to be bisqued: Friday, May 24

last day to put pieces in glaze firing: Friday, May 31. Respect deadlines.

-Empty your cubby by last day of class, June 5th (Show and Tell).

-Take your work home at the end of term, whether it’s green, bisqued, or glazed.

-Studio open for pottery pickup Wed. June 12, noon – 4 pm Everything left discarded Monday, June 24th.