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As an educator for many years, I had that break of 2-3 months to recharge. At the same time though, if I was in the shop, at times I would have my children as companions. They ended up not being too interested in clay, but for a while they were there. Now that school is out my grand daughter is in the shop with me wanting to ""play in the clay". I have started running some lessons in handbuilding appropriate for her age, slab, pinch, etc. Later on I'm sure she will want to get on my wheel also. How do you handle the return of the children on a regular basis during the summer, and their desire to play in the clay?

Hi folks, this is the time of year I always looked forward to, a bit of rejuvenation. So what are your plans for the Summer. . . taking grad classes, teaching Summer School, taking a pottery workshop, working long hours in the studio, taking a long well deserved trip or are you young enough to say all of the above? Myself, I still plan use this time of year like I always did, lots of outdoor time, kayaking, camping, making pots, finishing pots on the deck in the sunshine, bike riding, and so much more. Now if I could just get this NE weather to cooperate. . . .

I have often gotten into discussions involving the old saying paraphrased as those who can't, teach". This is often involved with a discussion of what is first with a teacher in the the arts, or art in particular. There are the advocates of the artist/teacher where the artist teaches. The teacher/artist where the teacher happens to teach art. I have always thought that there was a third category artist/teacher where the artist enjoys his art so much that he feels a need to share it with others. It can get pretty deep, but when you think about the way post secondary education is planned. .. .hmm. Teachers are taught how to teach, and often their major is secondary to the ways and methods of teaching. On the other hand artists are studio based, and when reaching a higher degree level, may elect to become teachers in a post secondary situation. Others take more circuitous routes, but my point is that many times a new teacher in art is prepared with all of the pedagogy, but often not enough studio time. As those of us that have been in the classroom, to fail in a demonstration can lose a class, especially if they continue to foul the demos. Maybe it should point to a five year degree for Art Ed, as this jack of all media thing is so broad to become accomplished with a few courses. The other end of this is that many time anymore the core of courses in Art ed are flat work, and some sculpture, very little in the crafts. So often the new teacher does what he is comfortable with not venturing into uncharted territory. Opinions college teachers, Art teachers??

Okay, so we've heard a great deal about the Griffin Grip and Splash Pans. What tool or thing not used normally for ceramics do you use in the studio to play . . . What if? One of my favorites is a set of embroidery hoops!! After throwing a teapot, vase, mug, or other form with a belly and neck, I will find an embroidery hoop that will fit the neck or over the belly at an angle. Cut the pot on that angle, turn 90 or 180 degrees and rejoin for a crazy crooked form. Anyone ever tried it? What tricks do you use for creative fun?

Just to throw out some ideas for teachers looking for ideas. I was looking through a few old pots the other day and came across a couple of slab construction demo pieces.

The first of these was a re-visitation from my college years and a project my ceramics prof presented. He called it the "poison goblet". His version was to create a wet slab, decorate it, roll it into a rough tube, seal the seam and squeeze the center into a neck, then refine. When I presented it to the students in my beginning classes it was a little more structured. First they had to use three of the major decoration techniques I had taught them: stamping, incising, added on clay, or piercing. Secondly they had to add some form of organic or inorganic form to the pot after refinement of the goblet itself. My example was as shown[attachment=2352:PoisonGoblet.jpg]

I usually followed up with some form of leather hard project in slabs so that they could see both ends of the spectrum, soft and leather hard construction. One of these projects was to create an incense or candle box of fixed dimensions. It had to have pierced areas for the light/smoke to come through, and it had to have one other form of surface decoration again using one of the techniques taught. The edges has to be defined, and the form had to have a way to get the candle/incense in and out easily. My simple example is shown below.

[attachment=2353:Candle Box.jpg]