Clay Bust for Father's Day

Today I'm visiting a friend's 5th grade classroom to teach the kids how to make a clay bust. They have each brought a picture of their dad to class...the goal will be to make a model of their dad for FATHERS DAY! As I was making my own clay bust as a sample to show the kids I realized what an incredibly challenging project this was going to be and decided to make a step-by-step picture tutorial for them to use as a guide. I hope this will allow more of them to be successful. Wish me luck!

Here's the tutorial I put together. Click on each picture to enlarge.

Piggybank Dragons...work in progress

So, I decided I'd like to have a booth at the local Christmas bazaar this December. I have nearly a year to prepare stuff to sell. I thought I'd start by making a collection of my clay piggybank dragons. Here's what I have done so far...


They all have wide open mouths waiting for coins to eat.


Here are the 8 banks I've made so far...they still have to be fired, then glazed, then fired again. When that is all done they will look shiny and smooth. I've had fun thinking up ways to make each one unique.

I bought the block of clay at a local art supply store for $17...this will be enough to make about two more banks. Each one has taken 2-3 hours so far. I'll post again when they're finished!

To visit previous clay dragon posts click here and here.

Hollow Clay Sphere

Knowing how to make a hollow clay sphere is really useful for making fun sculptures. (For those of you who are new to working with clay, your clay can't be too thick without running the risk of it cracking or exploding when fired.)

I learned the following technique at a fabulous pottery class taught by MaryAnn Guerry through the Lake Stevens Community Education Program.

Making a hollow clay sphere:

1. Roll two equal balls of clay.

2. Plunge your thumb into the center.

3. Start pinching the sides out to form a "pinch pot."

4. Continue to work your ball into a bowl by pinching out the edges, with special care to keep all sides and base an even thickness.

Here are my two finished pinch pots:

5. Turn the edges of one pot in, and the edges of the other out...then score rim with fork, toothpick or other such utensil.


6. Dampen the edges by dipping your finger in water and running it along the scored surfaces.

7. Align the scored edges...

8. ...then blend the rough edges away by smoothing the clay together with your fingers. After all the seams are sealed you can even roll it on the table to work it into the shape you want.

VOILA!

I threw a silly little face on this one just for fun...although I squished him just after taking this photo. This block of clay is goofy so I want to try and exchange it...notice how the clay is cracking...this shouldn't happen. Poor wrinkled old man.

(I used this hollow sphere technique to make the dragon piggy bank in one of my previous posts...check it out here: Piggybank Dragon.)

Piggybank Dragons

My brother made this dragon piggybank (back in middle school, I think) and I always thought it was such a clever, fun idea.

So when I took a pottery class last year, and the instructor showed us how to make hollow spheres out of two pinch pots (great for sculpture), naturally the first thing that came to mind was to make my own pot-bellied piggybank dragon. Here he is...