Tweens Intro to CLAY

Service Description

Ages: Tweens | Length: 5 weeks | Class: 2 hours per session Focus: Hand-building • Wheel Throwing • Surface Design • Creative Choice Course Description Get your hands dirty and discover what clay can do! In this five-week introductory studio course, students will explore both hand-building and wheel throwing while learning the fundamentals of working with clay. Each project introduces new skills while leaving room for students to make creative decisions, experiment with ideas, and develop their own artistic voice. Students will learn that there is no single “right” way to make art. They will be encouraged to build on their personal strengths and interests—whether those are drawing, storytelling, sculpture, patterns, texture, function, imagination, or problem-solving. What We'll Explore Week 1 — Meet the Clay: Hand-Building Foundations Learn basic clay vocabulary, wedging, joining, scoring, and slab/pinch techniques. Create a small project such as a pinch pot or imaginative vessel, with choices in shape, texture, and surface design. Week 2 — Build It Your Way: Slab & Sculptural Forms Explore slab construction, templates, texture, and simple sculpture techniques. Week 3 — Try the Wheel: Introduction to Throwing Learn the basics of centering, opening, pulling walls, and shaping clay on the pottery wheel. Students practice multiple attempts and learn that mistakes are part of the process. Create a small wheel-thrown form , such as a cup, bowl, or planter. Week 4 — Make It Yours: Wheel + Creative Choice Continue developing wheel skills while experimenting with shape and function. Students choose a form that interests them and begin a personalized piece or small set ,incorporating elements such as handles, altered shapes, textur, or sculptural additions. Week 5 — Surface, Finish & Studio Showcase Explore underglazes, textures, patterns, carving, and other age-appropriate surface techniques. Students select how to finish their pieces based on their interests and artistic goals. . Student Choice Throughout the course, students will have opportunities to choose: What they make: functional, sculptural, imaginative,or decorative How it looks: shapes, colors, textures, patterns, anddetails How they work: building, throwing, sculpting, drawing, carving, or combining techniques What inspires them: animals, nature, stories, games, object, characters, personal interests, or abstract ideas.