clay sculptures...

The project that started last year...of looking at the ceramic sculpture art in the sheltered housing next door, where the children chose their favourite, then have drawn their version of the art has finally reached the place I have been intending... creating "intentional" art with clay.

After a month of playing and exploring clay today we plunged into recreating our chosen ceramic sculptures...

We talked through each of the documentations... what can you see, how do you think we can create that... so that all the children could think together and offer ideas for each child's chosen art... I also helped with ideas too... after all I see my role now as supporting the children in collecting ideas and techniques so that they can apply themselves at a later date (we have seen how creating #D maps from 2D maps has done that... we helped a GREAT deal with setting up the 3D maps, with the aim that the children would be able to create their own 3D designs for the square - yesterday they were able to do this with competence... I will share more about that at the weekend...)

Anyway I shared the technique of making prints... using a car to make the car prints on one of the art pieces... and we worked out other things we could make prints from too...

It does pay off though.. taking time. Not just rishing in and doing the project from start to finish because there is an idea... but to let it gently grow, to allow the children to develop the skills needed to finish off the project feeling competent about what they are doing.

As we walked to the Square to play afterwards, one of the children slipped her hand into mine, saying "I like playing with clay"

I will be doing the documentation for the children over the weekend... I will then be in a better place to share more of the entire process then.