In this course students are introduced to a variety of new materials. The lessons are designed to give students a chance to explore how these materials work and what their limits are whilst also introducing them to the basic elements such as line, shape, colour and texture.

Children enjoy making useful objects and vessels from clay. They are often surprised to learn that the crockery and utensils that they see used daily can be made by man! Teaching clay sculpture and modeling gives children a practical example of how man can contribute to the world and it is a good experience. Designing functional work is another way to develop the imagination and visual thinking.

Children who have attended previous art classes can apply their skills to the sessions, and all children love the squishy, squashy feeling of the clay, and the amazing creations that they are capable of when they stop squeezing it!

Content

In this course we will:

• Build small motor skills and work our tiny hands through many techniques with the clay.
• We work on creating forms (squares, circles, spheres, cylinders, ovals, rectangles and triangles).
• Compose larger and more complex forms from combinations of shapes
• Work through activities that encourage the children to look more closely at the objects that they find around them and adopt an inquisitive approach to identifying the shapes within each form.
• Move from basic shapes to textures
• Encourage the ‘artist’s eye’: Improve powers of observation and attention to detail.
• We learn about clay tools and how to use items from in the house to make pattern and detail.
• As well as sculpture we learn about collage and a range of other artistic techniques.

Activities/Themes

The children will have different weekly themes that allow them to learn and practice newly learned skills.

Over the weeks we will choose from projects that include: Introduction & Basic Pot Making, Skills & Coasters, Collages/Papier Mache, clay environment (mini-pond, small town, zoo etc), Clay Faces, Clay Birds and Their Houses.