Two week sessions are by far my favorite sessions at camp. I get to see campers make things they never thought they would be able to create.
Since we have more time to work with materials then a one week we get to use clay. It’s a tricky material at times considering weather and conditions. It was especially humid during these two weeks meaning the clay didn’t dry as quickly as it would in a temperature controlled building or cool weathered week but having more time then usual I gave it as much time as possible.
The clay needs to be especially dry or as my ceramics teacher would say it needs to be “bone dry” before it goes into the kiln so that when the kiln reaches the temperature at which the clay bakes there is no moisture to escape. If there is moisture, then unfortunately the clay explodes.
After the clay goes through the kiln the campers come back to the Craft Shop to glaze the clay meaning they put a coat of paint that is made up of extremely tiny pieces of glass that melts and fuses back together once put through the kiln again so its shiny & awesome. And viola campers have amazing mugs, pinch pots, coil pots, and wind chimes.
Never in my four years as a worker of the Craft Shop have I seen such beautiful pieces. In the past, I constantly saw campers struggle to come up with ideas for their hunk of clay but I figured all they needed was a way and so now we all have custom hot cocoa mugs. If not for hot cocoa then maybe for pencils. Do people even use pencils anymore? Well if you do then camp has the mug for it.
Ciao for now or until fourth sessions clay update.
Peace.
Madeye.
(aka Craft Shop Maddy)
Since we have more time to work with materials then a one week we get to use clay. It’s a tricky material at times considering weather and conditions. It was especially humid during these two weeks meaning the clay didn’t dry as quickly as it would in a temperature controlled building or cool weathered week but having more time then usual I gave it as much time as possible.
The clay needs to be especially dry or as my ceramics teacher would say it needs to be “bone dry” before it goes into the kiln so that when the kiln reaches the temperature at which the clay bakes there is no moisture to escape. If there is moisture, then unfortunately the clay explodes.
After the clay goes through the kiln the campers come back to the Craft Shop to glaze the clay meaning they put a coat of paint that is made up of extremely tiny pieces of glass that melts and fuses back together once put through the kiln again so its shiny & awesome. And viola campers have amazing mugs, pinch pots, coil pots, and wind chimes.
Never in my four years as a worker of the Craft Shop have I seen such beautiful pieces. In the past, I constantly saw campers struggle to come up with ideas for their hunk of clay but I figured all they needed was a way and so now we all have custom hot cocoa mugs. If not for hot cocoa then maybe for pencils. Do people even use pencils anymore? Well if you do then camp has the mug for it.
Ciao for now or until fourth sessions clay update.
Peace.
Madeye.
(aka Craft Shop Maddy)
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