Gail Nichols and Pinch Pots

Wow Wednesday continues! The ceramic professor and ceramics majors wanted to put together a lesson to showcase the visiting artist. My professor invited me to teach a group of 9th graders how to make pinch pots this morning and they did a great job! Two times today I witnessed the handiwork of master ceramicist Gail Nichols, who hails from Australia and has been cranking out work on campus since Sunday at least! I am not by any means confident in ceramics as a media yet.. but the surety with which she handled her work was inspiring and frankly kind of intimidating! She works 'upside down' when she throws, meaning she flips her work to add a bottom slab to it.. so nerve-wracking to watch. 

She works 'upside down' when she throws, meaning she flips her work to add a bottom slab to it.. so nerve-wracking to watch.

Nichols makes vessels with soft organic forms and lush dimpled glazes that appear to ooze out of the clay itself.

Okay, as promised - lesson plan outline:

Pinch Pots

all student work!

Students will attend the lecture/demonstration of ceramicist Gail Nichols and create pinch pots. Students will have a chance to question Nichols on her process, 'favorite pieces', techniques, and tips/tricks. Students will have to experiment to find the most effective techniques and also compensate for loss of moisture and plasticity while forming their pinch pots.

Ancient civilizations produced vessels of all sizes and shapes using only clay and hands. By creating pinch pots students will be introduced to the media of clay and the technique of pinching and forming a small bowl to be fired. Students will have to experiment to find the most effective techniques and also compensate for loss of moisture and plasticity when forming their bowls.

Materials:

~.5 lbs of clay for each student (pre-cut and wedged)

hand tools

water

texture objects

glaze

paint brushes

sponges

ware boards (?) 

Process:

After questioning and the lecture are over, students should separate and sit at the work tables. Students should sit quietly awaiting instructions. This will allow time for attendance/evaluating need for materials.

- Teacher should provide samples to inspire students.

- Teacher should demonstrate the basic principles and process of forming a pinch pot.

1. Roll clay in hands until a solid ball is formed. Smooth cracks to ensure a strong foundation.

2. With the ball in your non-dominant hand, use your thumb of your dominant hand and press into the middle of the ball. Do not go through the bottom – leave half an inch of clay in the bottom of the ball. 

3. Demonstrate handling of clay ball and formation of bowl opening. Light pinching and consistently moving fingers in a circle – patterns and rate create consistency.

4. Small pinches are more effective and less destructive than big pinches!

5. Emphasize importance of thickness and evenness of walls (half an inch thick – not much thicker than that)

5. To compress and finish the rim of your bowl you can use a sponge or a rib tool to smooth the edge.

* * Make sure to demonstrate how to fix cracks and markings that are unwanted.

* Demonstrate pressing items into clay to create texture and patterns.

Hand out materials AFTER demonstration. Each student will receive a ball of clay and begin forming their bowls. Circular bowls are not mandatory but they are the easier shape to create. A few students made triangular and even one heart-shaped bowl.

After students are nearly done forming their pinch pots another demonstration should take place to cover glazing. Show students how to apply layers of glaze and discuss color mixing. Make sure to tell students NOT to glaze the bottom of pieces.

Questions during process:

Does the clay feel as you work with it more? How do your hands feel?

How did you fix cracks? What would be the consequences of not fixing cracks?

Some questions to consider:

Does a bowl have to be round? How can I apply textures and pattern to clay? How can I create consistent thickness of walls? What is the best way to fix cracks and weak walls? What happens if you pinch your clay too hard? What do you think small pinch pots were used for in ancient times?

Reflection:

I was extremely grateful to the ceramics majors who prepared the clay for students and helped hand out materials - they also made samples. Pros! I enjoyed working with the students and watching their work progress. They only had an hour to produce their bowls and, with some students requiring a little bit more help than their peers, they were more than ready to deliver! Some students made non-circular bowls and some students created teacups and tea bowls. There was a wide range of work created and the bowls will be fired in the next few days. I would adapt this lesson to the classroom with the addition of glazing and other forms of decoration or addition. I showed the students my examples from my hand building class as inspirations and samples and quite a few of them expressed interest in making their bowls more complex. Maybe next time. 

And now to rest and relax before another day of work and classes..

Until next time, 

Ms. K