Once in a while I invite my intermediate and advanced students to play a game called Building Blocks: we each throw two "torsos" - pieces large enough to become the main body of a pot - and three to five additions - spouts, handles, feet, small cylinders that can be cut up to create other shapes. It's a valuable exercise in that it casts the wheel in a new light: more like a slab roller or an extruder. Not as a source of finished pieces but as a tool, to make shapes that then become pieces. Also, it's fun! Above is our collection of building blocks; below are some of the pots which arose from them.
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3 comments:
very Suessical!
I like Michele's word: Suessical!
When I was teaching I would have students make cylinders, either thrown or handbuilt. Each started with her own cylinder, worked on it for ten minutes. Add; subtact; cut poke holes.....anything goes! It was then passed to the next neighbor for ten minutes until a complete circuit of the class was made. It was fun and warmed up the class, with always interesting results
What a great exercise, love the results too, great to expand the mind to think creatively.
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