Food!

Cupcakes, donuts, cakes...OH MY! The 5th grade clay assignment this year was food. Something delicious - a hearty breakfast or a tasty treat for after dinner? Students have a wide range of tastes and they were able to pull from these to re-create some of their favorites. This year we dove into multiple constructive techniques for hand building with clay. A full class demo included the use of coils, pinch pots and slab construction to make everything from spaghetti to donuts to full size cakes. Students were able to pull from a variety of techniques and tools to try an create a realistic clay version of the actual thing. I wanted them to make food that looked so real it would make everyone that visited the art room hungry.
     Once fired we added acrylic paint to the clay and in some cases Mod Podge was used to create a glossy sheen to greasy burgers and wet frosting. Real packaging as well as sprinkles and cones were incorporated into the final design.

Wanted!

Wanted!
This year we tried a new project with a new technique. Behold the image transfer! There are times in art when a photographic image is the best fit, this is one of those times. To do an image transfer we use a photocopy and a product called gel medium. Gel medium is a product designed for acrylic paint and when added to acrylic paint it mimics the effect of oil paint. However, when used in this process, it locks the photocopy image onto whatever surface it is applied (in this case a piece of wood). We went with the idea of an old "Wanted" poster from the wild west. The process of doing a transfer is unpredictable and you don't always get everything you lay down.  Corners tear, parts of the image rub off...but this renders itself to the weathered look of an old wanted poster....BONUS! Students were photographed, their poses were of their own design along with what they were wanted for. 6th graders have a great sense of humor and it showed on this project. Here are a few of the examples...