Coil Pots

Coil Pots 

 

Project Summary: Students reviewed the art principles pattern and rhythm and sketched different designs of coils. Each layer of the coil pot needed to be a different pattern or rhythm to give a variation of designs. A bowl was used as a template for the student's project.

What you will need to purchase prior to starting:

 

1. Bowl to lay the coils inside (It can be made out of any material).

(Students had to provide their own bowl that was a minimum of 5" tall x 10" wide.)

2. Plastic to lay in the bowl. Dry cleaning plastic works best.

3. Clay

4. Glazes

5. Paint brushes

6. Rubber rib

7. Modeling tool

8. Glaze sponge

9. Scoring tool

 

Step 1. Take your bowl and lay plastic inside. The plastic must be inside at all times so your coils do not stick. Even if your bowl is made out of plastic it is much easier taking your pot out of your bowl if there is dry cleaning plastic laid in your bowl.

 

Step 2. Roll out a base by either rolling up a tight coil and smoothing both sides with a modeling tool or use a slab roller to roll out a slab that is 1/4 of an inch in thickness. Use the base of the bowl to cut a circle that fits inside.

 

 

 

Step 3. Slip and score your coils to your base. Your foundation is the most important in your coil pot project.  

 Step 4. Begin to make your coiling designs. Smooth out the inside of your coil pot to reinforce your coils. The outside will be left not smooth so all of your design work will be exposed.

Step 5. Once all of your coils are attached and smoothed inside of your bowl it is time to remove your project from the bowl. Carefully lift the plastic out by the rim and peal away the plastic.

Step 6. Smooth, smooth, smooth! Using

your fingers, modeling tool, and sponge,

smooth inside the creases of your coil pot.

You will have scoring tool marks that need

to be smoothed. Be sure to flip your bowl

upside down to smooth the base and the

first few coils that are attached. These will

look the most messy.

Step 7. Bisque fire

Step 8. Choose your glaze color for the inside of your project. Apply 3 even layers of glaze.

Step 9. Choose the glaze color(s) for the outside. To inlay the glaze students should apply 1 thick layer all over the outside of the coil pot.

Step 10. Let the glaze dry 100%. When the glaze is dry bring it by the sink area and wipe away the glaze on the outside with a glaze sponge. Keep wiping and rinsing out the sponge. Once only the glaze in the lines is left then allow the damp pot to dry again.

Step 11. Apply 3 layers of clear glaze.

Step 12. Glaze fire

Book Cover Mosaics

Book Cover Mosaics 

Project Summary: Northern Burlington's Media Center received a grant from the class of 2017 to use toward an art instillation. Intermediate and Advanced ceramics students chose their favorite novel to remake in a book cover mosaic. The students took about a month and a half to draw, transfer to tiles, cut the tiles, fire, glaze, glue, and grout on to their wooden boards. As you can see, the end result added a splash of color in the media center. Hooks and wire were placed on the backs of the mosaics so the boards can be transferred and moved if desired. 

What you will need to purchase prior to starting: 

1. Wooden Board: make sure they are treated and sealed so moisture can't get absorbed.*
2. Clay: This can be any type of ceramic clay as long as it is fired.
3. Glazes: Glazes are preferred over acrylic paints. The acrylic can come off once grouted.
4. Tile Grout: If you can get premixed grout, it's more expensive, you should get this. If you don't have this in your budget you can get the powder grout and mix it. 
5. Plastic gloves: Each student will need a pair.  
6. A mask for you to mix grout if you are mixing powder grout. 
7. Glue: You can use tile glue (preferred) or Elmer's: The glue must dry for 24 hours prior to grouting.**
8. Hooks and wires for hanging.
9. Mirror/glass/beads for adding different designs to your mosaic.
10. Ceramic tools: rubber rib, sponge, fettling knife, small loop tool. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Making Mosaics.

Ceramics Arts Daily Video on Mosaic Making

Step 1: Choose your book cover. 

Step 2: Take a wooden board (that has been pressure treated and sealed) and cover it with plastic. This should be the board you are going to be gluing your tiles to. Since the wooden board is covered with plastic the tiles can be kept on the board and covered with plastic until the construction is complete. 

Step 3: Draw your design on paper that is the same size as your board. When you are done tracing/drawing your design you should use another color pen to map out your cut tiles.  **Make sure your tiles are geometric in shape. Any tile that interlocks too much with another will warp and not fit after firing.**

Step 4: Number your tiles!

Step 5: Roll out a slab that is the same size as your drawing. Begin to trace your paper on top of your slab with a dull pencil. 

Step 6: Use a loop tool to trace over your lines. The lines that are the cut tiles you should use a fettling knife to cut your tiles. 

Step 7: On the back of each tile place the assigned number and your initials.

Step 8: Use an elephant ear sponge to smooth the edge of each tile.

  

Step 9: Let the tiles to dry 100% prior to firing. The bisque tiles can be stacked in the kiln. 

 Step 10: Glaze the front side of the tile. Be sure to wipe off all of the glaze on the back side so it doesn't stick to the kiln shelf. To get an accurate design, use underglazes and apply 3 layers of clear glaze on top. 

Place the tiles in the kiln so they are not touching. 

 Step 11: Remove the plastic from the wooden board. Put your pieces back together. Separate the tiles on your board so you have about 1/4 of an inch of space between each tile. Use the tile glue to glue the backs down of the tiles. **Be sure to put the boarder tiles up against the edge of the board**

Step 12: Mix your grout. Follow the directions on the bag. **Wear a mask so you are not breathing in the grout dust. Everyone touching the grout must wear disposable gloves. 

 Step 13: Wipe down your tiles with a wrung out sponge. Keep wiping with a sponge and rinse your sponge in clean water. I had students dump out the water in the grass outside. NO GROUT should go down the drain or it will clog it. Rolls of paper towels were close by to help wipe down the tiles further. This process will take about 45 minutes. (Wipe down the sides of the wood so no clumps of grout are present.)

Step 14: Use a screw driver to drill in screws in the back to hang a wire. Place your mosaic on a secure screw that can hold 10 lbs.