Fall 2008

Art 171, 172, 173 Ceramics

Instructor: Robert D. Droessler

Email: rdroessl@highline.edu

Web page address:  http://flightline.highline.edu/rdroessler/

Phone number: 206-878-3710 ex: 3247

CERAMICS SYLLABUS

Course Philosophy

The intention of the ceramics curriculum is to develop, create, and discuss artistic expressions in clay.  Students will study varied forming, surfacing, and firing techniques.

There will be an emphasis on creativity, experience, personal growth, and involvement.

All classes will use dialog as a primary learning tool. There will be group and individual critiques throughout the quarter, and a final critique.  The goal for all students is to learn the skills of observation and the language of constructive criticism.

Instructions will be given through demonstrations, lectures, and group discussions. Demos and lectures occur at the beginning of class and will not be repeated.

Ceramics I (171) students will research primary forming processes and learn good craftsmanship as a foundation. Early projects will emphasize technique followed by projects with conceptual content. Instructor generates all assignments

Ceramics II (172) students focus on enhancing their skills. Learn kiln loading and firing techniques. Further glaze and surface exploration. Instructor generates assignments on an individual basis.

Ceramic III (173) students have a strong integration with studio workings and assume a leadership role in the studio.  Fire and load kilns. Develop individual curriculum through instructor meetings.

Class Structure

The class is set up in a lab / lecture arrangement. Students are required to attend a lecture / demonstration on Tuesdays and Thursdays then come to the studio during open lab hours to complete the projects demonstrated. It is the responsibility of each student to do the lab time. 25% of the grade (day classes only) is based on the amount of lab hours earned during the quarter.

Attendance and promptness to class

All students must sign in at the beginning of class.  Signing in is the responsibility of each individual student.  Missing 50 % or more of the classes by week 5 will result in a WI grade (withdrawn by instructor)

Two unexcused absence allowed

Unexcused absences can be made up during lab hours (3 lab hours will excuse 1 missed class or hour) with arrangement of the instructor. This option is limited and not meant to replace attending class.

Absences can be excused with a doctor’s note.

Demonstrations usually occur during the beginning of class. Be sure to check the class calendar for demo dates. Demos will not be repeated.

All students will meet for announcements at the beginning of class, and then will separate into classes.  Wear clothing suitable for active participation, ceramic materials do not always wash out of cloths 

Studio Guidelines

1. KEEPING THE STUDIO CLEAN

Long-term exposure to clay is harmful.

Clean up with water, bucket and large sponge any area you have worked with clay or glaze (tables, wheel, stool, floor, wedging table,)

Avoid stirring up dust with brooms, scrapping or sanding dried clay or glaze, and blowing clay dust or powder.

Stools need to be placed on top of the tables at the end of class (evening class only)

Plan on starting cleanup 15 minutes before you sign out.

Keep the wedging table clean and free of scrape clay.

2. DISPOSAL OF SCRAP AND WASTE CLAY

Do not dump clay into sinks!!! Use either the reclaim barrel or the garbage. Do not throw contaminated clay into reclaim barrel.

3. IDENTIFY YOUR ARTWORK AND TOOLS

Write your name on all your personal tools and equipment.

Sign your artwork; all work must have your first and last name on it in order to turn it in for credit.

4. HANDLING AND MOVING ARTWORK

Clay is fragile! It can break and crack if mishandled and usually cannot be repaired. Always use two hands when handling artwork. Typically projects that crack are not formed using fundamentally good construction techniques.

Respect other student’s work. Avoid touching, moving, or picking up clay that is unfired (it is in its most fragile stage when unfired).

Each student is responsible for tracking his or her own artworks location throughout the course of a quarter and to ensure his or her artwork is placed in the proper location for its designated firing.  Everyone must help load and unload kilns, and to move work from shelves to kilns.

5. STUDIO EQUIPMENT AND ROOMS

Turn off wheels, clean splash pans, and place stools on wheel head when finished.

Return ware boards, batts, and any other equipment to their proper location after use.

Do not store pottery for excessive periods on batts or boards.

Instructor must be notified before any student fires an electric kiln. Students must receive instructor’s permission to fire raku, or gas kiln.

Use extra care when handling kiln shelves, they are expensive and fragile.

The bottom of all artwork must be completely glaze free.

All students work must be removed from the studio following the final critique and clean up or it will be discarded.

6. STUDIO CONDUCT

When in the ceramics studio common courtesy is a must.  Do not bring friends or family into the studio.  Only students registered for a ceramics class are allowed in the studio.    No acceptations.

Your behavior in the studio should be one of mature artistic introspection.  Lab time should be quiet time.  Thuggish, loud, lewd, racist, bigoted or immature behavior will not be tolerated.  The ceramics lab time is not socializing time or time to pick up a date, its work time. The three-strike rule is used in the ceramics studio; you will get two verbal warnings to adjust inappropriate behavior. On the third strike students demonstrating inappropriate behavior will be dropped from the class.  Actions such as throwing clay miss using equipment or stealing will result in an immediate removal from the class with a 0.0 grade.

Failure to follow any of the rules will result in a drop in grade to be determined by the instructor.

7. Cell Phones

Turn off all cell phones, pagers, beepers, headphones or anything else that is a distraction.  The use of cell phones is absolutely not allowed anywhere or at anytime in the ceramics studio. The final grade will be reduced by .2 for each infraction of this rule. If this rule is broken habitually the student will be dropped from the class.

 Materials and tools

Most materials and tools are available in the bookstore.

1. Prepay for clay at the bookstore, and then show your receipt to the instructor to receive your clay.

2. Basic pottery tool - kit includes needle tool, loop tools, wood rib, wire tool, metal rib, and wood trimming tool, potters sponge and a fettling knife

3. Serrated edge metal rib

4. Box of small garbage bags (plastic)

5. One gallon bucket

6. Small plastic container with a lid (butter container for example)

7. Large sponge

8. Towel

9. One large black magic marker

10. Variety of paint brushes (four or five inexpensive different size brushes will do)

11. Note book (for demo notes and journal)

Each student is responsible for these materials and tools; you will not be allowed to start until you have obtained each item. 

Lab time

Students enrolled for the daytime classes are required to do lab time each week. Each student is expected to earn 6 hours of lab time each week.  The first week and the last week of the quarter lab time is not required.  By the end of the quarter students need to have earned 48 hours of lab time. Two hours of lab time can be earned each week by completing a weekly Journal entry and quiz on Blackboard. The weekly quiz will cover handouts that are available each week. In the journal students are to write about their expectations, reflect on time in the studio.  Make observations about the process.  Questions a student can ask themselves, did the clay move as expected? Did the glazes combine with one and other in a manner that was expected? Write about the concepts or themes that are used when creating the artwork.

Extra credit 

Each student can earn lab hours by visiting a Gallery or Museum and writing a short paper discussing their experience.  The paper must be at least two pages if double spaced and one page if single spaced. It must have one inch margins and no bigger than # 12 fonts size.  This project can earn up to 6 hours of lab time if done well.  These Gallery / Museum visit papers must be typed spell checked and grammatically correct.  This project can be done twice in one quarter but the second visit must be to a different Gallery / Museum. Attached to each paper must be a ticket stub, pamphlet, receipt, postcard or something that shows what exhibition the student attended.