Pinch Pot Pumpkins

pumpkin el

Products Used

Clay
  • low-fire white clay
Color
  • EL-145 Ginger Root
  • EL-143 Cactus Flower
  • EL-142 Grass

Decorating Accessories

  • BT-910 Synthetic Sponge
  • CB-110 #10/0 Mini Liner
  • CB-404 #4 Pointed Round
  • CB-604 Soft Fan
  • CD-778 Flowers & Leaves Press Mold 

Miscellaneous Accessories

  • skewer stick

 

Designer: Bre Kathman
 

Description

For grade levels 6-12

Fall is the perfect time to enjoy all things pumpkin. The word pumpkin originates from the word pepon, which is Greek for "large melon", something round and large. The French adapted this word to pompon, which the British changed to pumpion, later being altered to the pumpkin by American Colonists.

Pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes, opening the doors for many creative projects. Students can create a pumpkin as traditional or funky as they wish! Spend some time researching different types of pumpkins before committing to the first pumpkin design that comes to mind.

Objectives

  • Students will experience the use of clay techniques and processes.

  • Students will gain firsthand knowledge of how to make vegetables out of clay.

  • Students will create textures to express real-life objects.

Instructions

  1. Create a pinch pot with about 1lb of clay.
  2. Leave the top rim about half an inch thick
  3. Flip over and gather the top of the pot so it looks round when sat down.
  4. Draw 8 lines from the top of the pumpkin to the base with the back part of a paintbrush.
  5. Using 2 fingers on the inside of the pumpkin push the space between the lines out so there is a visual bulge.
  6. Rub the edges of lines drawn to soften and blend into pumpkin shape.
  7. Create stem by rolling out a small piece of clay in a cone.
  8. Make a thin flat disc of clay slightly bigger than the stem base.
  9. Attach stem to flat base by score and slip method.
  10. Add flat base to the top of the pumpkin by score and slip method.
  11. Texture the stem with a skewer stick.
  12. Roll out a thin coil for the vine to attach to base of stem with score and slip method.
  13. Press clay in to leaf press mold of CD-778 Flowers & Leavesand attach with score and slip method.
  14. Dry and bisque fire to cone 04.
  15. Paint 3 coats of EL-143 Cactus Flower on the body of the pumpkin with a soft fan brush.
  16. Paint 2 coats of EL-145 Ginger Root on the stem and vine.
  17. Paint thin ribbons of EL-142 Grass directly on top of the stem and vine to add highlights of green.
  18. Paint 3 coats of EL-142 Grass on the leaves. Let Dry
  19. Gently rub the highlights on the body of the pumpkin with a paper towel to create a color variation on the finished piece.
  20. Stilt and fire to Cone 05/06.

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