When it rains

When it rains the clay stays moist and we have some more time to work on it. This is a good thing really. It also means that the clay will dry slowly. Slow drying clay is less likely to crack and fall apart. Notice that I said "less likely" because I have learned not to take anything for granted with the clay. So to recap, the clay whistles are drying slowly which means that they are still intact and looking good. The clay pinch pots can be painted with oxide soon and then fired. The grade nine project is just finishing up and will begin the slow process of drying that will give us more opportunity for success. And success is what is all about here in room3.
You are no doubt wondering what is next in Mrs. Radley's art world. Honestly so am I. I will do some thinking and investigating and get back to you on this. In the meantime stay dry and warm.

Beginnings in clay and pencil crayon

The whistles have begun in grade ten art and two people are already making the sound of success. The building went really quickly and I am impressed by how good the whistles look. Now the fiddily part begins. It can take a little bit of time to get the whistle to sound but it is such a great feeling of accomplishment when that happens. The clay pinch pots are drying nicely as well so we will have a chance to experiment with oxides and glazes before we work on the actual project. I am glad that I had the chance to get the smocks washed. They turned out well and I was really impressed with the laundromat at Birdland. It is very clean, efficient and there is friendly assistance available.
The pencil crayon or coloured pencil tessellations are also coming along. I think most people will be starting their final copy tomorrow if they already haven't. It is always interesting to see what ideas are inspired by the random shapes that are created. I wish more people had paid attention to the video so they understood the process. We would be able to work more efficiently if they had.
So tomorrow more of the same! See you Thursday.

While everyone else has settled into routine of room 3 I still have a small pocket of resistance. (Afternoon grade nine class I am looking at you! Don't turn to your desk friend and begin talking over me. I mean it!) In order to try and encourage a feeling of calm and more productive work environment I have re-arranged the desks in room 3. We are no longer sitting in groups but in rows. And now I will be the one who decides where a student will sit. I don't really enjoy having to do this. I would much rather create and collaborate with people but some students cannot seem to focus on work quietly and efficiently. This row arrangement is here to stay unless people take the hint and work. Seriously. So my apologies to my grade ten art class but this how we will carry on for the time being.Today the clay pinch pot assignment in the grade ten class went rather well. Both Brooke and I really like this clay. It is an improvement over the other clay we had and I can't wait to see how the whistles turn out. Now that we are starting the clay unit in grade ten I really need to get the smocks laundered.Take care and see you soon in room 3.

Welcome to October

A new month means new weather and hopefully the possibilty of clay whistles for the grade ten class. By now, if you are in my class, you should have a sketchbook and a pencil. The senior intro to art class, 20x, should have completed their animal sketches so that we can begin the clay whistle unit. The grade nine class, 10i, should be working their way through the coloured pencil tessellation unit. I have almost marked all of the pencil tessellations and I will return your marked reflections very soon. Perhaps as soon as tomorrow.