In Eighth grade this year, we made mugs - functional mugs that can be used to actually drink out of here at school! The idea is that students can use them in their Language Arts classes during SSR (sustained silent reading) in the library while they drink hot chocolate. This is a tradition that's gone on in our school for several years now, but typically with styrofoam cups or store-bought mugs brought in from home.
I thought to myself, "How fun would it be to promote reading, visual arts, and being environmentally-friendly all in one project?!" And the mug project was born. This is our first glaze firing of the year, and my first glaze firing with students, EVER. I used Teacher's Palette glazes from Amaco. I think the final projects turned out really cute!
The theme of the mug design is your favorite book or book genre. We built these mugs by hand, from slab construction. We rolled a cylinder, gave it a bottom, and added a handle. The decorating was entirely up to the students!
I used my Hipstamatic iPhone app to take these photos, which give them a bit of a vintage feel. I started using my iPhone more frequently for photography since last weekend, when Mr. Leban and I went on a family vacation to the Milwaukee Art Museum. But more about that soon...
Love the one with the piano keys around the bottom!
ReplyDeleteYour blog is very nice. I am an art teacher at an elementary school and I have enjoyed seeing the projects that you have been doing with your students. I was really impressed with the mugs that you made with your students. It is nice that the kids at your school can use their functional piece of art to drink cocoa in the library while reading. What a wonderful place to go to school!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite mug was the Wild Thing mug. I would buy it!
You mentioned that you use your iphone to take pictures of artwork. Do you find it is a helpful tool to have? What else have you done with your phone? I am thinking of buying one for personal and professional reasons.
@Anonymous - thanks for the nice comment! I'm so glad you like our work!
ReplyDeleteAs for the iPhone, it's one of my all-time favorite gadgets. Besides about a zillion fun photo apps, I use my phone professionally for my Twitter account, internet access, Artsonia (they have an app now!), and email accounts.
Personally, I love to use the iPhone for games like Plants vs Zombies... I use a checkbook app to track my banking accounts, I take notes and memos on my phone, I use Google maps and navigation when traveling... I could go on and on! What CAN'T my iPhone do? :) ha ha!
Thanks for the additional information about your iphone. I did not know about the Artsonia app. I just opened an Artsonia account this week. Looks like I will be getting an iphone after all. :)
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