A Fun Little Fairy House Box

by Eleanor Hendriks

Soft slab construction Fairy House Box -yes the roof/lid is removable!

Funny little window

Out of focus eye stalk/ chimney

Fairy sized door

And some colourful fun...

...for Wacky Hair Day -A smile goes with everything!

Clay Totem Poles with Kids

by Eleanor Hendriks

I had the opportunity to teach a clay elective at my childrens' grade school recently. I had a group of 11 children from grade one to grade eight. The age spread kind of freaked me out and I decided to deal with it by doing two projects -one for the older kids -4 boys from grade 6 and 8, and a different project for the 7 children from grade 1 to 3.

The project for the 4 boys was to make a totem pole using slabs and a Pringles can. Since we weren't at my studio with access to my oh-so-handy slab roller, the boys got to roll their own slabs using rolling pins, 1/4" slats to control the thickness and canvas sheets to keep the clay from sticking to the slick school tables. You can see the basic method for making the pole form in this castle tutorial.

I handed out pictures of traditional totem poles and talked a little about the symbolism of the creatures and different design elements. I would have loved to get into this in more depth, but I was juggling the younger kids' project at the same time, so this got short shrift. They sketched out their ideas on scrap paper for a few minutes and then got busy on their creations.

I had the boys divide their poles horizontally into sections to accommodate the number of creatures they planned to make and I asked them to make any elements that would stick out further than a couple of inches first so that they could set them aside to stiffen up before attaching. Even so, some pieces required clay props to keep them from sagging while they dried.
Because I hadn't done this project with a group before and didn't know how long it would take, I had them work from the top down, in case they ran out of time before accomplishing all the creatures. I explained that they could put more creatures in using paint during the second session.

During the second session they painted their poles with underglazes. I encouraged them to look again at the traditional totem poles and make note of the amount of design work executed in paint. I gave them pencils to lay out some design work on the pieces before they began with the underglazes. I was impressed with the amount of time and focus the boys (yes, I said BOYS!) put into their painting. And I have to say, the results are fabulous -don't you agree?








Sorry, no photos of the process, I was busier than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I'll show you what the younger kids made another time...

(Is OK that I am inordinately proud of the creator of the last totem pictured? It was made by my eldest son...)

Clay's Many Variations

by Eleanor Hendriks

I am always amazed by the many possibilities of clay. It can be so many things to so many people. Functional/ non-functional, colourful/stark, wildly textured/perfectly smooth, organic/geometric and on and on.

I had three students willing to brave winter and come out to my studio for my Feb/March pottery class session. Even among only three beginning clayists, their visions and results had lots of variety...

An elegant leaf bowl is a study in contrasts...

A geometric letter box with a surprising bright orange interior...

A homey casserole dish with delicate carved designs...

A jewellery tray waiting to be filled with baubles...

Pinch pots that look as if they were grown rather than made...

...and fabulously textured wall pocket that will grace a sculpture studio wall...
Thank you Marina, Darlene and Pam for a great class full of enthusiasm and fun!

These three women have just dipped into the possible variations of clay. If you'd like to see how many other clay workers have interpreted their artistic visions using clay, you really need to read these two articles by Jeff Campana of the University of Louisville published on Etsy's blog, The Storque:

Ceramics and Pottery: Facts and Fancies (Part 1)

Ceramics and Pottery:Facts and Fancies (Part 2)

The second article is excellent, particularly because Jeff included some of my work in his review of decorating techniques (she said humbly). So check them out -you're in for some good reading and lots of clay eye candy...

Adieu to my Spring Students

by Eleanor Hendriks

Another session of pottery classes at StudioÉlan has come to a close. The students have come to pick up their wares at the closing night 'party'. I always try to arrange the schedule so that everyone can come at once to pick up their finished pieces so that they can see the results of everyone else's efforts. There are lots of ooo's and aaah's, "what glaze did you put on that one?" or "this isn't what I wanted" and the one that makes my ears perk up "Next time I'll have to do..." -then I know for sure people enjoyed the class enough to consider coming back!!

So I'd like to show off just a bit of the work the nine people that came once a week since March have produced...

Some really fabulous boxes! (Somehow I missed getting a picture of Janet's cheerful white and yellow butter dish -it really should be in this great group.)

Three large bowls -at least 14" across -all made from the same mold -but very different in the end...
An assortment of creative challenges undertaken with great results...

And last but not least -a few thumb pots made by my faithful studio sidekick -my 5 year old daughter -an apple bowl just like mommy's and a special cup for her pretend pet....

Thanks to Betty, Sylvia, Gayle, Sandy, Lee Ann, Susanne, Rochelle, Sue and Janet for a great session. I look forward to seeing many of you in the fall -have a lovely summer!

Now I prepare the studio for kid's art classes through the summer -more fun yet to come...

Art Studio Fridays at StudioÉlan

by Eleanor Hendriks

Back in the Saddle

by Eleanor Hendriks

After a hard drive meltdown imposed blogging break, I'm back with some news from StudioÉlan. A new round of classes has started here again -Welcome to Sylvia, Sandy, Sue, Suzanne (yes I am still getting the 's' names mixed up -I may have to make flash cards!) Betty, and Janet. Welcome back to Gayle, Lee Ann and Rochelle. I'm looking forward to a great session -some nice work has already been done by this group -but you'll have to wait to see it!

In the meantime I'll show off some work from the last round of classes and the March Break Camp for Kids.

First the adults....

Making ovals is a challenge to starting potters....

Look at the lovely colouring on this set....
T-pots are always a challenge -and check out the beautiful carved detail...

A set of mugs...

And the outhouse -finished at last! (Rod -if you are reading this -come and pick up your pieces!) And now for the Art Camp! I'm afraid the pictures are a bit scimpy even though the kids did a lot of great work. My hard drive ate the pictures of the mosaic mirrors, the abstract paper cutting, the tin punch lanterns and some of the pottery. So here is just a taste of their efforts...

Just a few of the great stacks of snack bowls -they each made and personalized between five and eight bowls -there were bowls on every horizontal surface for a while....

Gameboards and pieces -including the saddle that I'm back on!...

Castle towers chock full of details and carefully painted... Good job everyone! I'll be back soon with some pots-in-progress photos of the things that I'm working on and an embarassing story about how I improved my berry bowl glazing method by mistake.

Playing the Pottery Lottery

by Eleanor Hendriks

A while ago during a pottery class focussed on glazing, I joked with my students about the Pottery Lottery. Playing the Pottery Lottery (PL) is what I call it when we put glazes on our pieces without really knowing what they are going to look like. Students almost always play the PL because they haven't had enough experience with the glazes to know how they might work.

I provide tile samples of the glazes we use in my studio but there are so many variables in glaze application that the tiles give only a small part of the possibilities. Even more unpredictable results come when glazes are layered or mixed.

During a class with some students who were really spooked by the PL, I lead the way by putting glazes on some of my own pots in combinations that I had never tried before.... and this time I WON the Pottery Lottery!

I used underglazes under a glaze that might have been opaque and hidden all my painting -but it didn't -in fact it has a soft aged look that I will probably be repeating.

I spilled one glaze over another and rather than cleaning it off I went ahead and splattered a third glaze on top of that. There are some fabulous subtle patterns where the glazes met that I will try to repeat on some other pieces...

I would never have thought of putting these two colours together -I did it by mistake at the end of a long late night (early morning actually) glazing session -and I LOVE it!

These strange rivulet patterns come from layering glazes with wax in between to prevent the top glaze from covering the entire pot. The result is fascinating -and nothing like what I expected!

And on this piece I think I won the lottery twice -the outside is an amazing array of colours...

...and the inside is just stunning!!

Of course I would be celebrating my Pottery Lottery wins more vigourously if I could remember which glazes I put where!! Oh why Oh why don't I write these things down!!!

Medieval Times

by Eleanor Hendriks
March Break Art Camp at StudioÉlan is going well so far this week and their project today was so successful that I thought I'd show it off! We made castle towers and tricked them out with all kinds of medieval elements and details. The series of process photos and the Rapunzel tower are the one I made as an example. The last three pictures are the great work of Lydia, Heather, Madeleine, Ally, Garett and Tyas -way to go guys!

Clay is done for the week -next we'll be working on mosaics, tin punching, printmaking and abstract paper cuttting. I'll post an overview of all the projects after the week is done -I hope they go as well as this one!!
Edited July 25, 2013 I was too busy during those sessions to take pictures, so I never did get posts about the other projects up. See the comments for tips on how to do this project with your own group...

Hedgehogs and Outhouses?!?

by Eleanor Hendriks

I hinted at a future containing outhouses and hedgehogs -well, here they are, courtesy of my beginner pottery class students. I get so excited when students take a basic skill -like making a slab box or a simple thrown bowl and really make it their own. Congratulations to Rod and Lee Ann for really making all they can of the skills they have acquired so far!

Rod's outhouse -still awaiting a date with the glaze kiln (and the ever elusive satellite dish installer!)

Lee Ann's cute little hedgie before glazing....

...and after!

Thanks to Ross, Sandy, Rod and Lee Ann for a great winter session! Stay tuned for some more class highlights....