CLAY CREATURES

Our awesome student teacher, Miss Flanagan, did these colorful clay creatures with
the fourth grade artists. Everyone loves them! 

Miss Flanagan introduced the lesson with an excellent demonstration on creating a pinch pot and using the opening as the clay creatures mouth. She noted the importance of slipping and scoring every piece they added to their creatures.

Miss Flanagan had water containers at the tables for the artists
 to moisturize the clay when it became dry.

The ideas the student artists came up with were so creative!

When they were grouped together they were rather creepy, in a good way.

Each creature was unique. The excitement of their creations motivated the

students to write about their creatures. They included their creatures name, where they 

came from, what they are, and much more.

Congratulations Miss Flanagan on an outstanding art lesson!
I plan on continuing this lesson with my students next year.

Native American Totem Stones and Pouches

Our fifth grade artists have become excellent at stitching. They learned the blanket stitch to construct these finely crafted pouches. Each student chose a color of felt and a contrasting color of warp string to show off their beautiful stitching. 

The first class we talked about fabric arts and I demonstrated the blanket stitch. Many of the students got about half of their pouch stitched. The following class they finished their pouches added a bead for a button and made a stone out of indian red clay.

Some of the students chose to keep their clay stone smooth so they could draw on it or paint it after it was fired in the kiln. Others chose to carve their totem in the moist clay. Others chose to make their clay the shape of the totem they chose.

I am always very pleased with the quality of their stitching. Many of the boys are some of our best stitchers. This is the first experience most of our students have stitching. I feel that this a very special first that I have the opportunity to share with them.

Each stone and pouch has a special quality of it's own. The students really enjoy this project.

I would like to thank Tresa a retired colleague of mine for sharing this project as well of many others with me.