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ideas for teaching beginners

updated sun 3 oct 99

 

Rod, Marian, and Holly Morris on sat 2 oct 99

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I see there are a few of you teaching beginning students, like Dwiggins in
Maryland. It truly is joyful work=21 How about sharing your ideas for =
working with
beginner students. Easy project ideas, good resources, books, etc. I also do
this, working mainly in terra cotta with commercial glazes, and handbuilding
with slabs as the basis, and lots of hump/slump work with embellishments. My
favorites are small vessels and tiles finished partially with naked terra =
cotta,
partially glazed with Amaco Alligator greens. Also, terra cotta with =
majolica
and overglazed designs in Duncan Concepts (which work just as dandy as =
overglaze
as they do as underglaze). (With functional ware, I have students do the =
inside
in commercial Dinner-safe, because I am not sure my fabulous Seattle Pottery
Supply majolica base is food. These glazes are practially foolproof, as is =
my 3=25
grog terra, which when started off as slabs, almost never causes problems =
along
the way. I have even taught workshops just using terra cotta flowerpots, =
glazed
with majolica and colors. I am looking for some low ingredient, easy to mix
glazes to replace my expensive commerical ones, however. What project and
materials ideas do you have for beginner work? You are a great and generous
bunch=21