object, such as “sneakers,” and get a
response such as “athletic” or “
running.”
Introducing the Artist
Deborah Rael-Buckley
After the warm up game, I introduced
Deborah Rael-Buckley’s work and
students tried to guess what some of
her visual metaphors meant. While
looking at her work, students counted
how many different metaphors she
uses in one piece; sometimes it is only
three that repeat in different sizes.
We took note of what processes
she uses to define the images such as
cutting, carving, coloring, and sculpting, and in what order we thought
she might have worked.
•;one;25;lb.;bag;of;clay;(white;earth-
enware with grog, or standard
white earthenware)
•;a;dish;that;holds;a;fettling;knife;(or
wire tool to cut the clay)
•;ridged;rubber;or;metal;tools;for
smoothing the exterior of the coil
sculpture (yogurt containers also
work well)
•;trays;and;plastic;bags
Begin by demonstrating how to
roll a thick coil on the table and lay
it on plastic to form an 18" ( 46 cm)
circle (there is no bottom slab). Build
a tube upward by smearing the top
coil downward onto the bottom coil
to connect them. Connecting the
coils can also be done with slipping
and scoring if the clay is not moist
enough.
Have students smooth the exterior
using the rubber/metal tools after
about every five coils. To smooth the
exterior hold the tool, and with some
force, smear upward in a series of
strokes that go
in two opposite
directions. Mean-
while, support
the interior of
the sculpture
with your other hand in the same
area where you are putting pressure.
At the end of each class period
have students place their sculptures
on a tray/board and completely cover
it with a large trash bag, leaving no
holes where air can get in.
with a tool on the outside and join
coils on the inside using the fingers.
If the clay is very moist, it may help
to crumble some newspaper and stuff
it into the armhole or chest cavity to
prop up the work. Cut or poke out a
neck hole. Use extra clay to build it
stronger as needed. Add one or two
shoulders, or allude to an arm. Happy
accidents, even a fall, can be made
into stronger work; a tilting torso is
much more expressive than a straight
torso.
Developing Visual Metaphors
Students began brainstorming
their own figurative self-portraits,
beginning with a search for visual
metaphors representing their lives.
Reflecting on life
experiences at
this age can be a
new experience
for them and
does take teacher
guidance. Following are several exercises to get students brainstorming
visual metaphors about themselves:
1. Translate written work into visuals. I ask students to have at least
five-to-seven thumbnail sketches to
build from.
2. Choose three or four of the brainstormed images that interrelate
and refine them. Students should
choose one or two images that
unify the work. Images should be
of a good size and have strong lines
and shapes.
3. Students sketch/trace the placement of their images on 11 x 18"
( 28 x 46 cm) thin paper.
Reflecting on life experiences
at this age can be a new
experience for students.
Transferring Images
Transferring the images can be done
freehand, or by tracing earlier paper
sketches onto the clay. Texturing and
adding shapes/slab designs should
come first since this works best when
the clay is very moist. Defining the
lines and shapes of the images can be
done with several processes:
1. Add On: Slip and score clay shapes or
slab relief motifs onto the exterior.
2. Texture: Have a box of texturing
items to choose from.
3. Pop Out by Indenting: Use plastic
modeling tools to press around
images to create low-relief
effect.
4. Cut Away: Cut away areas using
an X-Acto knife (easiest when
the clay is still damp but has
lost some of its plasticity).
5. Carving: Use mini triangular
sculpting tools at an angle to
peel away lines of clay. Carving
tools work best when the clay is
leather hard.
It is very important to clean up
rough and crumby edges left from
cutting and carving. To do so, use a
damp sponge, finger, or my favorite, a
cap eraser for a pencil. Have students
carve their names into their sculptures
and let the sculptures dry for a good
two weeks before firing them.
Making the Figurative
Self-Portrait
The object is to create a well-balanced
coil-built figure or torso from waist
up to shoulders, about 8" ( 20 cm)
high and 6" ( 15 cm) across. At each
table, place:
Altering and Closing the Torso
The tube of clay can be made more
human by altering the shape. Areas
can be stretched out by using one
hand on the interior repeatedly pressing outward, while supporting the
exterior with the other hand. The “O”
shaped tube can be made more oval
or elliptical as well.
To close the torso and make the
shoulders, roll thick coils and leave
an arm hole by joining a coil from
the front to the back of the shoulder
area, similar to a dress strap. Continue
going front to back with coils, joining
them as you go until you finish at the
other shoulder. Smooth the exterior
Choices in Coloring the Clay
I offer students both traditional and
nontraditional methods for coloring sculptures and encourage them
to use at least two different media.
Most nontraditional methods of color
need a layer of varnish or shellac to
