265
Ceramics 1
Assistant
Professor: Stephen Robison, Department of Art
Office:
Randal 148
Office
Hours: Mon & Wed 8:00-9:00 and 11:30-1:00 and By Appointment
Meeting
Place: Randall 124
Time: Monday and Wednesday 1:00-3:30
Email: robisons@cwu.edu
Websites:
Suggested
Readings, Books:
Clay:
A Studio Handbook by
Vince Pitelka, Hands in Clay by Charlotte Speight, Working With Clay
by Susan Peterson, American Ceramics by Garth Clarke and Ceramics, A
Potters Handbook by Glen Nelson
Magazines:
Studio
Potter, Ceramics Art and Perception, American Craft, American Ceramics,
Ceramics Monthly, Clay Times, Art in America
These
books and magazines are all in the studio for your use during class times and
office hours.
FOCUS
ON THE WHEEL (with intro to hand building)
Goals:
1. Skill Based: To understand and create a
relationship with clay and its different stages, i.e. wet, leather hard, bone
dry, bisque, and glazed. And also learn some basic firing techniques
2. Visual: To enhance your awareness of
form and surface in utilitarian and sculptural ceramics.
3. Conceptual: To build on your basic
knowledge of historical and contemporary ceramics from around the world and
begin personal research.
Course
Description:
The
main focus in this class will be to build skills on and off the wheel so you
have a vocabulary in ceramics to visually communicate with.
Requirements:
1. You are required to enter four
research papers on the ART 265 blog. Each journal entry will include a minimum
of 4 images and a 200-word essay reflecting on the nature of the assignment. For each paper you
will research contemporary ceramic artists from; http://accessceramics.org/ or http://artaxis.org/artist.htm.
You can also use any of my blogs listed at the top of this syllabus.
You are required to enter your journal
entries in the ART 265 blog. The blog address is http://art265.blogspot.com/ For
the Enlarge Assignment you may use any source.
The grade weight for your entries will be 10 points for each entry
this will equal to 40
points at finals week. This total will reflect a full assignment grade so it is very important
to your grade to complete these journal entries on time. No credit for late
entries. Your research journals need to be
completed by the specific date listed in your attached calendar.
2. You are required to complete all
assignments by their due dates, pieces not completed by the due date will not
receive credit full credit. If an assignment is not done on time your letter
grade for that assignment will go down 5 points for every class day it is late.
Students are not to work on late pieces during class time. There is a total of 21 points
for each assignment. Possible
points for your 4 assignments equals 84.
3. You are required to keep the studio
clean. A general rule to follow is “LEAVE
IT BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT”. This is a health and safety factor along with
a common consideration for others who use this space. You will be required to sign up for one hour of studio
cleaning and maintenance with the studio technician. You need to sign up for a
time. You will be graded
on this and receive 10 points.
4.
You will also have a
vocabulary test and will be administered during your final exam time. The grade weight will be 20
points. So take good notes during demonstrations and lectures.
Grading
You
will be graded on each piece that is assigned. All project grades will be based
on the grading rubric included in each grade sheet.
Grade
sheets need to be brought to class when an assignment is due.
Points
Total
84 points for projects, 40 points for
journal entries, 10 points for cleaning, and 20 points for vocabulary test.
The total points
possible is 154.
Grade
scale
A=154-138
B=137-123 C=122-107 D=106-92 F=91>>
Attendance
Policy:
Absence is permitted only in cases of
illness or other legitimate cause.
Students taking this course are allowed two unexcused absences during
the term. Students who accumulate more than two will have their points total
dropped by 20 points for
each absence above two. Illness is excused with doctors note. Other
legitimate excuses may need documentation also. Attendance is checked from the
first class meeting. It is the student’s responsibility to make up all class
work missed. When the number of absences for any reason (excused or unexcused)
exceeds 6 the
student will fail the class.
If you miss a lecture, video or demonstration it is your
responsibility to do individual research to figure out what needs to be done
for that particular assignment. If you have an excused absence see me during
office hours.
Tardiness
Policy:
If you are not here when I take attendance you will be
counted as absent, lectures and demonstrations are usually at the beginning of
class and interruptions will not be tolerated, if you have a good excuse you
can talk with me after class is over.
Ceramic Studio Rules
No pets in the
studio.
No children in
the studio.
No food or
drink in the glazing, clay mixing or kiln room areas.
No smoking in
the studio or courtyards.
Only students
enrolled in ceramic classes can use the studio.
NEVER leave
work on the tables without the permission of the instructor.
Report any
problems in the ceramic studio to an instructor, an advanced student or the art
office. In the case of any emergency, call the University Police Services
at 963-2958.
ANY WORK LEFT BEHIND IN THE STUDIO WILL
BE DISPOSED OF ONE WEEK AFTER CLASSES HAVE ENDED.
Students with Disabilities:
Students with disabilities who wish to set up academic
adjustments in this class should give me a copy of their “Confirmation of
Eligibility for Academic Adjustments” from the Disability Support Services
Office as soon as possible so we can discuss how the approved adjustments will
be implemented in this class. Students without this form should contact
disability Support Services Office, Bouillon 205 or dssrecept@cwu.edu
or 963-2171
Notice:
The instructors, Department of Art and CWU are not responsible
for any articles lost or damaged. This includes any work that is damaged
or ruined in a kiln firing.
Materials:
You
will need to bring in an old hand towel, a ruler and a small plastic bucket, (a 1 or
2 gallon ice cream bucket is perfect). You will need to purchase a basic tool set from the college
bookstore or craft supply store, (basic tool kit
is available at the SUB bookstore and Jerrol’s), one small box of large black garbage bags,
one roll of masking tape,
a dust mask and a zipper ziplock bag, A
pair of rubber gloves,
a large sponge and small sponge and an Exacto Knife.
You
come supplied with three of the best tools you will ever need, the most
important being your brain (please bring it to every class), the second two
being your hands. If you really
want to excel in this class I suggest buying either Clay: A Studio Handbook by
Vince Pitelka, Hands in Clay by Charlotte Speight or Working With
Clay by Susan Peterson, all of which can be purchased on line, but even
more important then books would be to take good notes during demonstrations. I
also have shop copies of all these books that you can use at anytime during the
class.
Music:
Music is often played in the studio. If anyone is irritated or just doesn’t
like something that is being played or just wants some quite time then they
must inform me and I will turn it off.
Students are not to
wear headphones during class time. Important information may be addressed
outside of lectures and students need to be able to hear me. You will be marked
absent if using such a devise.
Final Notes
The syllabus and course schedule are
subject to change in the event of circumstances beyond my control. Be
accountable for yourself and your actions. Be respectful of your peers,
your instructor, your studio work area and your supplies. It is a good
idea to get another student’s contact information in the event of an unforeseen
absence. If you don’t know something, please ask.
Organize your time wisely. I will try and help you
with both this syllabus and a month-to-month calendar in the studio. Do not
fall behind is my best suggestion. Trust me mid-term will be here before you
know it! One suggestion is to get a daily planner and take all your syllabi for
all your classes and organize all assignment dates so you know what is expected
of you in every class. Also be diligent in your note taking and keep up on your
journal entries.
Stephen Robison
Assessment and
Learner Outcomes
COURSE: Art 265: Ceramics 1
1. Outline of
Course Content:
The
main focus in this class will be to learn about basic hand-building techniques
and an introduction to the potter’s wheel. One hour of lecture and four hours
of studio per week.
2. Course Objectives:
To
learn issues around hand-building techniques and throwing techniques. To
enhance your awareness of form and surface in utilitarian and sculptural
ceramics by building on your basic knowledge of historical and contemporary
ceramics from around the world. And to build on critical thinking.
3. Learner
Outcomes and Assessment Tools:
Learning Outcomes
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Assessment strategies
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1. Demonstrate proficiency in basic handbuilding
and throwing techniques.
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Assignments focusing on a variety of basic
handbuilding techniques and throwing techniques and applying specific
technical parameters for each assignment.
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2. Demonstrate proficiency with ceramics and art
vocabulary and ability to conduct a visual analysis of 3-D work.
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Class critiques for each assignment, incorporating
individual presentation as well as group discussion for the purpose of
assessing the use of descriptive ceramics and art vocabulary.
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3. Integrate and apply conceptual concerns and or
utilitarian directions.
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Class critiques for each assignment, incorporating
individual presentation as well as group discussion for the purpose of
assessing the application of technique and conceptual development.
Assignments focusing on specific conceptual
parameters for each assignment.
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A
Student’s Guide to Building an Esthetic Foundation
The expansion of your conception of what
contemporary art and craft are and are not, will be the beginning of your
foundation on esthetics and philosophies.
In my classes, I ask you to look beyond commercialism to find your own
visual voice. With that in mind,
there are certain ideologies and objects that are inappropriate directions of
study and research in my classes. Not to say there is no place in the world for
these types of generic expression; there certainly is, but not in a college
level class. Watered down, overtly
commercial i.e. tourist trade, cookie cutter art or Kraft objects are
unacceptable. Examples that fall
into these categories include ash-trays, pot pouri burners, teddy bears,
hearts, big beer mugs that say bet ya can’t on them, bongs, pipes, piggy
banks, religious or other club-oriented iconography, light houses and sea
gulls. This is only a short list
and I do reserve the right to include other examples if they come up. Reasoning for certain esthetic rules
lie in the fact that to learn about the art and craft of ceramics or any other
media, you must look beyond the blatantly obvious. My classes are not about creating a product; they are about
learning skills to create, building a conceptual direction and about learning
to see. Searching for an
individual voice through historical and contemporary reference points outside
of commercialism will be your main objective in my classes.
Whether you build on a visual voice that is directed
towards a socio-political agenda or based on ideals of beauty, your visual
voice begins with your investigation into the almost inexhaustible
accomplishments of the past and the present. Your individual voice builds as an amalgamation of
historical and contemporary work and grows with your understanding of
both. Your audible voice grew by
learning to speak through your mom, dad and other voices, you then furthered
your education by learning to read and finally thinking more for yourself. I hope that even the way you speak and
think continues to grow. Remember, a major aspect of learning is acquiring a
taste that you may presently want to spit out or won’t even try and being open
to new ideologies that presently you may not understand.
If you allow yourself to taste things that may be
too sweet, too bitter, too ugly or incomprehensible to you now, you may open
you mind to flavors that will make you mouth (or mind) water later. Everyone
has disliked some food as a child and now loves it because they have learned
the subtleties, textures or nutrition of that taste. The same direction can be taken when learning a visual (or
musical) language if you listen to music or look at art more in depth and try to
see or hear what it is saying you will expand your horizons and see the bigger
picture. For instance there are
probably quite a few songs you listen to and really like but you don’t know
what the lyrics are. Once you figure out what the lyrics are sometimes you say
to your self, “Wow what a stupid song”.
In turn there are probably some songs you don’t like for some reason but
what they are singing about you may totally be in agreement with. We all start
out somewhat sophomoric at first, just making meaningless noise in music or
marks in art, and then start to build dexterity through practice and knowledge
of the tools. Just like the
gibberish (gib·ber·ish n. spoken or written language perceived as incomprehensible,
and probably not worth comprehending) of a toddler. It is after more and more
exposure to the historical and contemporary use of the media that you will
begin to see beyond the obvious.
Looking at art and listening to music becomes like reading; if you don’t
open your mind to what is out there you just become a mocking bird and never
learn to sing with your own voice.
As an educator it is my goal to make you realize you
have a voice, train it a little, get you to practice a lot, and then you can
sing solo or join a band. I
intentionally rely on analogies to help you relate to this ideology as it
relates to any field of study; creativity is important in every
discipline. We call areas of
study, disciplines because that is what it takes. I really don’t believe that
one is born with talent; I believe one acquires it if they want to or if they
have a nurturing environment that allows them to. I will try to make the
environment as nurturing as possible for those who have the discipline and work
ethic it takes to learn and not just play around and have fun. Learning should
be fun also so I will try and make it so. However you are paying for this
education and if you do not want to get your moneys worth that is more your
decision then mine. Show up to class and do the 6 hours a week of homework and I
guarantee you will be on your way to being what ever you want to be. It is a
creative approach to growth and knowledge that makes any student successful and
always above average. So not only
showing up and doing the assignments but also going to the extra steps of
studying the material will reward you greatly in the end. If you are in the class to obtain a
grade and get credit then you may be in the wrong class. If you are in the
class to learn about art and how art imitates life and how clay touches your
life then I am excited to get to know you and help you along the way.
Tips for centering and throwing
1.
Use consistent weight and or size in your balls.
2.
Find and use equal pressure of the top and side
hands to center
3.
Work on the top and left side of the ball for
centering
4.
Use gradual pressure on both the initial contact and
upon release during centering and pulling
5.
Work on the right side of the donut for pulling
6.
Use very little pressure with inside finger or
fingers for narrow bowls.
7.
Never touch the clay while the wheel is not spinning
8.
Maintain consistent speed of the wheel (faster for
centering and slower for pulling)
9.
Maintain slow and gradual speed of your hands up the
walls
10.
Slow down the wheel on your last pull or pulls
11.
Use a bowl rib for the interior of bowls.
12. A major
consideration during all these steps is that friction is your enemy and using
enough water will keep the clay from twisting or tearing.
Tips
for slabs
1.
First pound out rough slab about a half to a quarter
inch larger than desired thickness
2.
Thickness of slabs for cups should be around a
quarter inch
3.
Before using slab make sure you smooth and compress
slab with dry wall knife
4.
Remove all canvas texture from slab during
compression.
5.
If some surface cracks form in bending slab compress
them out with flexible rib.
6.
If slumping with slab use a clean dry sponge or
swipe slowly with clean flexible rib.
7.
If using a male form make sure you use newspaper as
a resist.
8.
If using a female mold make sure you use newspaper
or cling wrap over the form or use a material for your form that is absorbent
or something the clay won’t stick to, such as plaster, wood or a foam mold.
Health and
Safety Rules:
NUMBER 1
RULE
ALWAYS
USE SAFETY GOGGLES WHEN WORKING AROUND ANY POWERTOOL, OR HANDHELD GRINDING TOOL
(i.e. chisels or grinding bricks), AND A RESPIRATOR when working around dry
materials, dust and fumes! Dust from working with clay, glaze materials,
plaster, buffing compounds, and any material can cause health problems. Proper
respirators must be worn and smart clean up procedures must be followed.
Cleaning up any dry materials must be done in a wet procedure. Use adequate
water and sponge area clean never use a broom. Gloves and protective eyewear
must also be worn when working with the kilns. Protective eyewear for kilns
must be approved to protect your eyes from the intense rays that emit from the
kiln.
NUMBER 2 RULE
REMOVE ALL Jewelry, TIE HAIR BACK AND
NEVER WEAR LOOSE CLOTHING AROUND ANY POWER TOOL (hand held or stationary).
Things that turn can catch lose hanging items and pull you into the tool or rip
out your hair. This also applies when working around any open fire or kiln.
Also never wear nylon or any polyester when working with any kiln or open
flame. Cotton and Leather are the best materials around the kilns.
NUMBER 3
RULE
THIS
ONE MAY SEEM LIKE COMMON SENSE; NEVER OPERATE ANY POWER TOOL WHILE UNDER THE
INFLUENCE OF ANY PRESCRIPTION OR NON-PRESCRIPTION DRUG THAT IMPAIRS YOUR
ALERTNESS!
NUMBER 4
RULE
Never
eat or drink in the studio and always wash your hands after working with
materials, especially before smoking, eating or drinking breaks. Also use protective gloves and goggles
when working with materials in a solution or in their dust form; they may be
either caustic or soluble.
NUMBER 5
RULE
DO NOT USE EQUIPMENT UNTIL
YOU HAVE BEEN CHECKED OUT ON IT!!!!!!!
NUMBER 6
RULE
Lifting heavy
objects such as clay bags and kiln shelves need evaluation and you should seek help when
appropriate. Remember to always bend with the legs and not the back and always
ask for help when lifting any object beyond your capacity.
It
is your responsibility to talk to your professor if you feel that you cannot
perform any task that may be asked of you during the course of this semester.
This contract indicates that I have read
the syllabus and fully understand my responsibilities in reference to:
assignments, attendance, grading policies and health and safety rules.
Calendar
Week 1
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Wednesday
Jan 1st
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1:00PM
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ART 265 – Mix Clay, Studio Introduction,
and video of intro to the wheel.
Demonstration on cylinders.
Research
Journal Assignment 1
and watch Introduction to the Wheel . You will find it in the January 2008 blog.
Journal Entry
on the top 11 pointers
posted tonight.
You need to state what you may think are the top 5 tips
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2:00PM
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3:30PM
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What is visually intriguing or
conceptually fascinating to you?
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Week 2
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Monday
Jan 9
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Wednesday
Jan 11
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1:00PM
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ART 265
DEMO
Centering, opening and
pulling and concepts of
consistency
ASSIGNMENT 1
Ten 6
inch tall thrown cylinders and
ten 6 inch tall hand built cylinders due Jan 23
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ART 265
WORK
Research
Journal Assignment 2
Post
your journal entry on cups. Look at cups from; Ted Adler, Bethany Benson,
Chose four of your favorite cups and tell us why
they are appealing to you.
Due over the weekend
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2:00PM
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3:30PM
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Week 3
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Monday
Jan 16
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Wednesday
Jan 18
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1:00PM
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MLK day
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DEMO
Using male molds for
Cylinders
ART 265 WORK
Research
Journal Assignment 3
Post
your journal entry on Blackboard on the bowls, one
image for each potter.
and Clary Illian
Specifically looking at the feet on bowls.
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2:00PM
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3:30PM
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Week 4
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Monday
Jan 23
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Wednesday
Jan 25
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1:00PM
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ART 265
Assignment 1
due
Discussion on growth and work ethic relative to
cylinders.
Assignment 2
Ten 8 inch tall thrown cylinders and ten 8 inch tall
hand built cylinders
due Monday Feb
6
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ART 265
DEMO
The use of bowl ribs.
Research
Journal Assignment 4
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2:00PM
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3:30PM
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Week 5
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Monday
Jan 30
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Wednesday
Feb 1
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1:00PM
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ART 265
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ART 265
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2:00PM
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3:30PM
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Week 6
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Monday
Feb 6
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Wednesday
Feb 8
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1:00PM
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ASSIGNMENT 3 and 4
25 trimmed bowls and
10 hand built bowls
Due Feb 22nd
Remember to get them to leather hard so you can trim
DEMO
The basic bowl
Trimming the basic bowl.
Slumping bowls and foot
additions.
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WORK
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2:00PM
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3:30PM
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Week 7
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Monday
Feb 13
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Wednesday
Feb 15
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1:00PM
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WORK
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WORK
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2:00PM
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3:30PM
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Week 8
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Monday
Feb 20th
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Wednesday
Feb 22
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1:00PM
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Presidents Day
No class
But try to WORK
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WET CLAY
IS
Over TODAY
This
means trimming and slip work too.
Last
Bisques Loaded
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2:00PM
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3:30PM
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Week 9
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Monday
March 5
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Wednesday
March 7
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1:00PM
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Last
glaze firings Loaded on Mon and Wed of Week 9
This week is
Glazing, Loading, Cleaning and….
FIRING FIRING FIRING
FIRING FIRING FIRING FIRING
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2:00PM
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3:30PM
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Finals
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Wednesday
Nov 23
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1:00PM
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Final Critique
Unfinished work will not be discussed.
Vocabulary
Test
Potluck!?
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2:00PM
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3:30PM
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