Yesterday I taught my first class since March. A fellow Oil City music teacher, Beth Orris treated her daughters to a metal clay class for their birthdays.
This isn't the first time someone has given one of my classes as a present. Another teacher friend gave her daughter and son in law a class for Christmas. One Easter, a mother gave her son and daughter a class instead of candy. They even used her own stones in their pieces. And a fellow artist's husband gave her a gift certificate for a class. Can't remember what the occasion was. If you ask me, I think it's a great idea......... a tangible gift "and" knowledge.
Anyway, there were five students. Not only did Beth and her daughters take the class but also Beth's sister in law, Amy Krumich and a good friend, Vicki Scherr.
What a great group. Lots of fun and laughs (and lots of picking on each other!) I felt right at home.
What always amazes me is the variety of work that comes out of a project. Everyone adds their own flair and truly designs their own personal pieces.
Unfortunately the photos I took of the finished pieces were rushed and most of them did not turn out. (There were men watching little ones back at the house .......... need I say more?) So, my best shot is the unfinished pieces as they were prepared to go into the kiln.
Julie and her mom brought leaves and ferns that they incorporated into their fold over bail pendants. Others tried a variety of shapes and texture variations to make their pieces unique.
As many times as I make pieces and teach it, it is still like Christmas when the kiln is opened. Everyone surpassed their expectations. Besides the pendants, we used the remainder of the clay to make a pair of earrings.
This was the only decent photo of a finished piece. These were made by Vicki. Her earrings kept breaking so she ended up making a delicate necklace for her grand daughter. I wish I could show you the rest of the pieces but the pictures just don't do them justice.
