Spark your interest in clay by learning what clay is and where it comes from, learning to use natural clay as an art medium, learning to use a pottery wheel, and learning to design art with alternatives to natural clay, including polymer clay.
Exploring 4-H Visual Arts Clay
Spark Activity: Clay Coils
Using clay as a medium for art has lots of fun possibilities. You can use your own creativity to incorporate elements of art and principles of design into your artwork.
Creating clay coils is a simple technique with many possible outcomes. You can practice this technique with natural clay or with a homemade clay made from ingredients in your kitchen (things like flour, salt, and/ or cornstarch).
Begin with a small piece of clay. Roll it out on a solid surface so that it is the shape of a snake or sausage. Continue to roll with your entire hand - rolling evenly from your wrist to your fingertips - opening your hand wide as the coil gets longer. It takes some practice to get an evenly shaped coil. Once you’ve mastered a coil that is long and even (like a straw), use the coil to create different types of coil shapes:
- Spirals (rolled like a cinnamon roll)
- Arches (like a rainbow)
- Donuts
- Folds (like a ribbon candy)
- Twists
- Braids
How can you combine the different coil shapes to create a piece of clay artwork with a variety of elements of art and principles of design?
4-H Project Levels and Goals
- Learn about ceramic tools for molding, cleaning, and painting
- Learn to create artwork from clay using pinch, coil, and strip methods
- Learn purpose / procedures for firing Identify types of glazes and glazing
- Learn the purpose of the three main types of clay - earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain
- Learn about underglazing and overglazing
- Learn terms related to pottery / clay artwork
- Create art with a type of clay that you have not used in prior years
- Learn to use a potter’s wheel
- Learn hand-forming with a template Use carving and sgraffito techniques
Put Your Project Into Action
Show Your Skills
- Report about a favorite clay artist’s work
- Examples of design elements or art principles using clay as a medium
- Portfolio of work you have created using clay
- Photo or digital display of famous art pieces made from clay
Service and Leadership
- Teach younger members how to create an art piece using clay
- Make and donate clay artwork to a local nursing home
- Create clay artwork and donate it to a fundraising event or auction in support of a local cause
- Volunteer at a local art event or art show
- Invite an artist to teach a workshop at a 4-H club meeting
- Volunteer to serve on a local Art Council
Entrepreneurship
- Create and sell your artwork online or at local shows
- Design and sell clay ornaments featuring a school mascot or club / organization emblem (with copyright or trademark permission)
- Teach art classes featuring clay
Technology Connection
- Digital ceramics
- Ceramic 3D printing
- Digital fabrication
Connecting with a Mentor
- School art teacher
- Community college art instructor/students
- Local art museum staff or volunteers/docents
- Network with artists at community craft/art shows
Events
- Local and state 4-H workshops or shows
- Classes offered through local community colleges, park districts, or museums
- Local, state, and national art competitions
- Community craft / art shows
Project Manuals & Exhibit Requirements
- Getting Started in Art (Beginner)
- Level 1: Sketchbook Crossroads
Purchase manuals on the Shop Illinois 4-H Store.
View exhibit requirements and scoresheets on the Illinois State Fair page.
Careers
- Potter
- Art Teacher
- Art Museum Director
- Industrial Designer
- Art Therapist
- Dental Ceramist
Start a Conversation
Who are the most fascinating clay artists that you’ve learned about? What are the most interesting clay pieces that famous artists have created? What is a new clay technique that you would like to learn?
Credits
University of Wyoming Extension 4-H project sheet
New Mexico State University 4-H project sheet
4-H Spark Sheets are a collaborative effort of 4-H staff, volunteers, alumni, and teens from across Illinois. A big thanks to the many contributors and reviewers!