Wednesday, September 28, 2011

4th Grade Ceramic Bells


     For these bells, I challenged the fourth graders to create functional bells, but to also be as creative with them as possible.  I reminded them how to sculpt a simple pinch pot, flip it upside-down, and then to sculpt on top and around it.  We of course talked about adding lots of textures too.  Then the bells were bisque fired, and the students painted them with semi-moist underglazes.  After a quick coat of clear glaze from me and another firing, I assisted each student in super gluing a "ringer" into to the apex of their bells (we used glass beads that I had already super glued to jewelry cord).  Although this is a challenging project, I love it and am always surprised with the sculptures the kids create! This year was no exception.  We had baseball and football bells, various animal bells, and even a few bells memorializing the Twin Towers and the September 11th 10 year anniversary.







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