Back to basics.

This post is about showing more student art work.  Except this time it's not about grandchildren or painting and drawing.  This time it's actually about metal clay!

It's been a few weeks since I taught this class but figured that it's never too late.  My student was Charlotte Randall from Titusville.  Charlotte is a jack of all trades but well known for her puppetry work and presentations around the local area and around the country.  She's taught classes here at the National Transit Building several times.

This was an intro class where I teach the basics of working with the clay,  how to set a CZ in the clay and how to create a fold-over bail.  Usually I have the students do a small project first to get use to the feel of the clay.  These small pieces are used for earrings or a charm.  I save these pieces so the student can get the feel of torch firing clay while the bigger pieces are in the kiln.

Every student is different (which is what makes teaching fun) and I never know what direction the class will take.  This time, Charlotte chose to use her small piece in her bigger pendant (which I actually never had anyone do before.) You can see the small piece in the upper left hand corner, tucked under the edge of the fold over bail.   She also embellished her piece with clay coils to enhance the design.

Very nice for a six hour class which included an hour for lunch and an hour for firing (plus the gab time which always goes on in a class.  Girls got to talk.)