art of the middle ages

It would seem that, at present, my words and creative ideas are spent. [This post has been stewing for at least two weeks now.]

I began my long-term practicum (also known the big push until graduation) in January.  In my mind I saw myself starting the second week of January, after a nice break.  I would finish my work sample from my first practicum in that first week and get started on Lexi's quilt shower.  Alas, then the email came stating that we were all to report to practicum the first week in January.  We were to be back in the classroom when students returned from break.

It has been quite the adjustment.  The contrast of a fourth grade inclusive classroom to middle school art is night and day.  I went from the challenge of learning about thirty students to over two hundred.  My commute went from twenty-five minutes through town to forty-five/an hour highway each way.  

Being a little over a month in I am finally beginning to adjust.  It is pretty incredible to see thirty seventh graders sitting there fully engaged in making art.  Quite often I hear the words, "Is class over already?" or "Do I have to go to my next class?"

Two of the classes are ceramics, an art form I have not attempted in at least a decade.

 That first week I set out to make a small piece.

 It is a small lidded container with plenty of pattern.

 I kept notes on all of my colors, including my mixtures, as a test run.  It was such a good brush up project.

 The procedure/process is a bit different than when I was introduced to ceramics.  Projects are painted with color as the clay is still leather and then fired once.  Then the clear coat (the green above) is painted over top and it is fired for a second time.

 My final little dish is now on my shelf.  I also painted a little spool doll for Eury.

It was fun to just play.

With so much of my artistic creations having a specific end product in mind, just creating is such a rare treat.  By the end of the day, however, my brain is pretty much tapped beyond the point of caffeine resuscitation.

Look forward to adventures in wheel-throwing.