We finally met under the BIG concrete staircase!
Pottery Club began today with 23 enthusiastic children excited about doing something creative. I was also very excited to meet the new children and see the children who were returning to Pottery Club.
Once the talking/listening part was over, the art room was buzzing as the children received their first bit of clay for the year. The topic today was how to attach two pieces of clay together… to make them stick.
Slip is the thing. Yep, slippery slip. It is made from dry clay and water. The best slip has the consistency of yogurt. After summer holiday, our slip was more dry then wet or more like a lump of wet clay than yogurt. But it worked okay. Next week it will be slippy.
There is always something new to learn in pottery club. The best slip consistency is something that takes practice.
But there is also scoring. No, not making a goal in a sporting match. Scoring is making grooves or gashes in the clay to give it some texture. It is like giving your clay fingers to hold on to the other clay bit.
Two pieces of clay that have been scored, then slipped, have a good chance of holding together through the drying and firing process.
The children all learned that if you want your limbs, legs, eyes and ears or anything else to stay on, you’d better slip and score!
I have high hopes for a challenging and creative school year.
Welcome to pottery club!
Warmly,
Suzanne
Niilovilla Studio 