Adventures in Press Molding: Creating & Using Press Molds, Sprigs, Texture & Color

Activity:

Materials:

Students will be sent an email regarding materials, tools and appropriate objects for molding.

1

DEMO AND CREATION OF MOLDS

HOUR 1:

• Display a pot from a shallow press mold

• demo creating a press mold in an interesting metal or plastic container…the shallower the better.

• Students create a shallow press mold.  (Students create more shallow molds on their own time.)

• Dry and fire to BISQUE demo SPRIG making.  Show finished product with sprigs

• students will create sprigs using objects we have brought in.

HOUR 2-3:

• display a cup from a THROWN negative space press mold

• demo creation of a THROWN negative space press mold

• Students create a THROWN negative space press mold.  (Students may come in on their own time and make more molds…the more the better!)

• Display and explain a SPLIT MOLD to show a release method for complicated thrown forms.

• DRY and fire to BISQUE

• Smooth clay

• Shallow container with interesting form/texture…metal or plastic

• Plastic stencils

• Commercial underglaze, glaze slip, terra sig

• Low relief objects to make sprigs

• Handbuilding tools

• Throwing tools

2

POTS FROM SHALLOW MOLDS

HOUR 1:

• Review/demo by instructor

• students will create a simple slab vessel in shallow molds they made.  Use stencils or texturizing tools on slab BEFORE molding.  Use some of the same tools to add color pattern on the slab BEFORE molding.

• attach sprigs if needed

HOUR 2-3:

• Make several vessels using your molds and your classmates.

• DRY and fire to BISQUE

• Bisqueware molds

• Sprig molds

• Smooth clay

• Handbuilding tools

• Stencils

• Coloring agents

3

POTS FROM MULTIPLE SHALLOW MOLDS

PART OF HOUR 1:

• demo use of several molds to create a vessel

HOUR 1-3:

• Students create vessel(s) from multiple molds, perhaps borrowing from classmates.

• 
  

• Bisqueware molds

• Sprig molds

• Smooth clay

• Handbuilding tools

• Stencils

• Coloring agents

4

POTS FROM THROWN MOLDS

PART OF HOUR 1:

• Demo use of molds (tight and loose)

• Students use thrown molds to create pieces.

• DRY and fire to BISQUE

• Bisqueware molds

• Sprig molds

• Smooth clay

• Throwing tools

• Stencils

• Coloring agents

5

POTS FROM MULTIPLE THROWN MOLDS

HOUR 1-3:

• Demo use of multiple molds (teapots, sugar bowls, wall pieces, etc.)

• Students create using multiple molds

• DRY and fire to BISQUE

• Bisqueware molds

• Sprig molds

• Smooth clay

• Throwing tools

• Stencils

• Coloring agents

6

GLAZE ALL POTS

HOUR 1-3:

• Students will wax bottoms and glaze pots

• Demo use of wax and glaze for those new to KCCG and why translucent/transparent glaze is best for color stenciled work.

• Bisqueware pots

• Glaze and glazing materials

Post class