CERAMIC MUG

1. CERAMIC MUG Slab and sculptural construction

2. Create a functional ceramicmug with at least one sculptural form incorporated in the design. • Mug will be built in 4 parts-body, bottom, handle and sculpture. • Mug will be built mainly in a slab construction. • Mug must be functional-meaning you can drink out of it. • Sculptured object should be either on the exterior, interior or handle. • All ceramic structural guidelines must be met.( see handout ) • Mug must be well crafted. • Fired must be glazed and fired a second time.

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8. CERAMICSceramics- the art of making functional clay objects by firing at high temperatures • Greenware clay must be pounded and kneaded before use. This removes air bubbles which prevents explosions. All parts of the clay object must be no thicker than your thumb. If it is thick you must hollow out the clay. • Cover table with a tablecloth and place clay on a canvas board. • Work clay into forms with hand building methods or tools • Air will dry out the clay. Always cover your clay object in a plastic bag unless it is a 100% complete. If the clay starts to become dry or cracks spray object with water. If it becomes very dry cover clay with a damp (NOT wet) cloth. Place clay object back in a bag and let the clay absorb the water from the cloth overnight. • The best way to add appendages such as handles, spouts, etc. is using leatherhard clay. Clay will naturally get leatherhard over time but you can quicken the process by puffing up a bag with a lot of air and closing the bag with the air still in there. • You must slip and score all clay pieces together. If you skip this process the pieces you attach may fall apart. When clay dries it shrinks because it is losing water. As the pieces shrink they will naturally want to pull apart from each other. • When you are finished creating your object you must let the clay become bone dry. Remove bag and put the object in the kiln room and let air dry on the bisque fire cart. The piece will take several days to be dry enough to fire. • When the object is bone dry it is then bisque fired in the kiln for about 8 hours. After it is fired the surface of the clay will be white, hard and chalky. • You may now paint or glaze the object. After the object is glazed it must be fired a second time. When the object has been glazed the surface will be shiny, smooth and functional.

9. Ceramics overview con’t • Greenware- damp clay before firing. Leatherhard-clay that is still damp but still enough to hold its form. This is the best condition to trim, carve and add appendages. Slip and score-process used to adhere clay together.Slip is a clay and water mixture that act like a glue. Using a fork scratch both surfaces that are to be joined. Place slip on one of these scored areas and blend pieces together with a tool. When you are done there should be no visible lines between the pieces of clay. Bone dry-clay that is ready for firing. It is very, very fragile at this point. Kiln-oven used to cook clay where temperatures reach 2000 degrees F. Bisque-clay that has been fired once. Fire-when clay is cooked in the kiln. This process hardens, strengthens clay and adheres glazes. Glaze-a liquid that is painted on a ceramic piece to seal the porous surface and add color. ( see glaze handout for more info).

10. A SLAB of clay is a thin wall of clay that can formed into a variety of forms including a cylinder.AN EVEN SLAB CAN BE ROLLED OUT WITH SLAB ROLLER OR ROLLING PIN