Alesia’s Art Activities
Alesia Lacina has a long history of arts education in Grinnell. Here are some of her favorite art activities for you!
Clay Landscapes
Landscapes before glazing and final firing
Materials
Clay rolled flat and in chunks
Flat boards (ours are 4"x12") for a surface
Instructions
Lay the flat piece of clay on the flat board for stability. Use chunks of clay to build. Create a landscape. It could include things such as buildings, walls, trees, and statues.
Fire in a kiln, glaze, and fire again.
Tips
Make sure that all the pieces are very well attached and there are no fragile parts. They easily break off.
Clay Suns
Materials
Slabs of clay
Extra clay for details
Cutting tools
Instructions
Cut a rectangle or square slab of clay for the base
Cut a circle out of another slab of clay, which will be the middle of the sun.
Add sun rays, a face and other details, making sure they are resting on the base or they will fall off
Encourage the kids to use piece of clay to add details/texture rather than carving out details.
Kiln fire, glaze, and fire again.
Tips
- Looking at the picture, the suns aren't on bases. They may appear sturdy, but the sun rays kept breaking off. Building them on a clay slab base makes the suns sturdier.