Project Description:
Today students had the opportunity to further express themselves through the use of color on the objects they have made throughout the semester. Students learned about the ways in which glazes worked, and the ways in which artists use color in order to further the concepts behind their work. Students looked at the glazes once they were fired on test tiles in order to get a better understanding of what a glaze would look like once it was fired. Students then had the chance to come up with ideas that would represent what they wanted with color on their pieces. This is working with the idea of creating gifts for someone important in their life. We asked students at the beginning of class to think about who they might want to give each of these pieces to, and then think about the colors that they would want to use in order to make that gift be something that person would enjoy. Students came up with ideas about sports teams that people enjoyed watching, as well as their favorite color or colors. This allowed for students to get thinking about what colors they may want to make their pieces. Students then actually began glazing their pieces, and making decisions about final colors and mixtures of colors.
Essential Understandings:
Artists use color to express ideas or feelings in their work, and explore this through different techniques with color application
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Intended Outcomes:
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Students will be able to define glazing by demonstrating their knowledge through application.
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Students will be able to successfully glaze their pieces while also being creative by effectively glazing all three of their pieces.
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Students will be able to connect their experiences with their color choices and how to effectively express those influences in their work.
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Students will be able to create a finished piece that combines the techniques learned during the demonstration with their own expression of color.
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Students will be able to reflect on their piece and others; by presenting their piece to the class and discussing their glaze choices and techniques.
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Skills:
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Problem solving when faced with challenges.
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Experimentation and flexibility in ideas.
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Cooperation.
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Purposeful application of ideas.
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Listening to and following instruction.
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Creative expression.
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Sharing.
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Documentation:
This student decided to use red to color their artwork. They also branched out and used green to apply on their cow, which allowed for a change in representation. They used broad sweeping strokes with the paintbrushes, and once they got their color went right to work. The intentionality of using the glaze was apparent in their confidence.
This student was interesting in allowing glaze on specific spots of her work, but leaving other areas the color of the glaze. This was an interesting way of working because it allowed for variation and kind of a tie dye effect. She enjoyed painting the rim of her box, which allowed for an interesting contrast between the inside and the outside, and a step between the two. Her way of working was random, but created an interesting effect.
This student was working with detail oriented glazing techniques. She was very careful as to what colors went on certain aspects of the piece, because she was interested in having specific colors on specific spots. This was different than some other students ways of working, in which they added colors more randomly as a way of exploring.
This student differentiated their animal mix by having the animals divided in half color wise. They were not attempting to render a realistically colored animal, but an animal that represented a sports team’s colors.
The techniques of glazing varied widely across the students, from a light application that was not touching the edges of the piece, to a heavy amount. The students wrestled with how they were going to coat their pieces as well, with results varying from no glaze inside the piece (in the case of coil pots and boxes) to the glaze permeating every crack (coil pots, boxes, and animals).
All students had very different and unique reasons for using different colors of glazes, and everything turned out beautiful because of these concepts and understandings, as well as ways of working. There was a major theme with sports teams that was emerging because one student had mentioned that that was a good way to make work that someone important in their life may like.
After they glazed all of their objects we decided to use a clear glaze on the inside of every container and box, so that they would be sealed and food safe.
There were two different ways of working, very specific and making sure that every spot had a specific color that they wanted. And the other way of working was glazing more randomly in order to get an effect with areas of color and areas of no color. This made each of the works different and interesting.
Some students did not have a particular reason for the colors they chose, they just decided to glaze some of their objects colors that they liked.
In this video, we see the students focused and diligently working on their projects. Each had their own cup of glaze, and they had to decide where they wanted one color before they got another color. This caused purposeful markmaking, and some students stood back to consider their pieces before moving between colors to finalize any projects.