THIRD GRADE . . . Sculpting with Clay

Artwork by Colette

To learn how to see our animals in a 3-dimensional way, we first drew each side of the stuffed animal we brought into school on six sides of a cube. This way we could learn just how the animal forms look from the front, the side, the back, the top and the bottom. Scroll down to see my earlier 3rd grade post for pictures of our finished animal cubes.

Finally, we were ready to work with clay. With our stuffed animals as models we had a pretty good idea of what shapes we should mold. We used an air-dry clay in class, but it works the same way as firing clay. We learned how to knead the clay to make it softer, how to add water to moisten it as it dries and begins to crack, and how to score and add slip as glue to attach the parts of the animal to the body.

Once the clay set, we painted them with bright colors of paint and then a glossy spray was added to seal everything. Here are some of our wonderful sculptures! To see all of our work, check out this link to the Ranney home page at artsonia.com.   http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839

Artwork by Ashley 

Artwork by Ava

Artwork by Maria

Artwork by Tomas

Artwork by Pierce

Note to families...
This art blog will be updated regularly with new posts sharing our daily activities in the art room and news about upcoming art exhibits. To respect the privacy of our students, names will always be limited to first name only and identifiable photos will never be accompanied with a name. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to write in the comment box below or send me an email at blevine@ranneyschool.org. I would love to hear from you!
    In my class, students are given the chance to explore different materials and fun new techniques as they develop their signature style. Some young artists love to draw with a pencil, some like to paint on canvas or create images in a digital format, while others prefer working with clay and molding three-dimensional forms. In my classroom, we use a variety of materials allowing all artists to experiment and figure out which type of art they like the best. At Ranney School, we place a strong emphasis on originality and celebrate artistic differences, always nurturing and encouraging the imagination of every student.
     Remember to check out our display of finished artwork and student portfolios in the Ranney home page of Artsonia.com.  http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839