Ceramics

Course Syllabus
ART 221.01, 222.01, 223.01
1:00-3:50 PM TTH
Room AS1630/1632

INSTRUCTOR:    Liza Halvorsen
            Office: IB2410A
            Office hours: T/Th ?  or by appointment
            Telephone:  528-4537     e-mail: lhalvorsen@sccd.ctc.edu

POTTERY TOOLS:
A pottery tool kit including:                            25lb. bag of clay (2 or more per qtr).
Elephant-ear sponge or synthetic sponge        Japanese brush #9 or #1                   
Modeling stick                                                 Sketchbook
Metal or wooden rib                                        Lab coat, apron or old clothes
Pear corer                                                        Plastic bucket or bowl 
Needle tool                                                      Large sponge
Wire, string or nylon line for cutting               Plastic bags for wrapping pots       
               

Keep these notes available for reference during studio hours.

Hours that the Ceramics room will be open for outside work on class project will be announced.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: ART 221, 222, 223 are beginning survey courses in ceramics consisting of lectures, outside reading, slides, and movies, demonstrations, and practical experience in a variety of studio pottery techniques. It is expected that you assume a professional attitude towards your clay work. This includes attention to assignments and a thoughtful approach to outside reading and slide lectures. Specific assignments will be given to challenge and encourage development of skills with form, surface and creation original projects.

In ceramics, as in any form of creative activity, you will learn only in proportion to the number of experiences which you undergo.  The student is therefore urged not only to attend class regularly but to take advantage of the many fine museums, libraries and galleries present in Seattle and the surrounding area.

Learn the following steps in the flow of ware through the shop and please follow them carefully:

1. Store your clay tightly wrapped in polyethylene plastic in your locker.

2. When working on a project for more then one period, cover it with plastic and store it in your locker or  indicated storage areas. 

2. If you want a pot to stiffen before the next period, leave the piece loosely covered.

3. When a pot is finished and the instructor has given you permission to bisque fire it, incise your name on the base and leave it out to dry.  If the piece has sculptural attachments or handles which will crack if dry it too rapidly, leave piece loosely covered during class and tightly covered between classes to slow drying time.

4. When green ware is bone-dry, including foot, move it to shelves marked green ware.  The ware will be bisque-fired and stored on bisque-ware storage shelves.  Leave bisque ware on these shelves until you glaze it.

5. When the piece is glazed you will put it on shelves marked glaze ware.

MAINTENANCE OF POTTERY SHOP: Pottery is messy. A required 15 minutes will be set aside at the end of each class to follow this clean-up routine before leaving class:

1. Scrape your work table with a plastic spatula then wash it down with clean water and a large sponge.

2. Wash down wheels thoroughly - remembering to wipe under the wheel head.

3. Scrape large plaster bats, throwing bats, and wedging boards with spatula, and scrub with dry paper towels use no water on plaster surfaces.

4. No clay or plaster should enter the sinks -- rinse only in the large sinks in the front of the rooms (with the raised drain traps in place)

5. Do not operate any power tools without supervision and permission.

CLASS PROJECTS:

ART 221-Is a course on the techniques of hand building - pinch, coil, and slab methods. The students will be expected to turn out from 6 to 8 finished items. Of these there will be four main projects; one of which must be at least 16" in one dimension --- such as length, width, or height.  The main projects will consist of:

        1. one coil piece with coils showing as design.
        2. one coil piece with coils smoothed.
        3. one slab piece using "damp" slabs.
        4. one slab piece using "leather hard" slabs.

ART 222-Is a continuation of 221 using hand building techniques plus an introduction to wheel throwing. The student will produce four main projects which consist of:

        1. one hand built piece using both slab and coils.
        2. one hand built piece utilizing a press or slump mold (this will  have three or more parts).
        3. one hand built piece using wheel-thrown parts (three or more).
        4. wheel-thrown: Six "6" tall cylinders, "4" wide, with "1/4" walls or if the student finds this                easy then turn in six equivalent shaped pots.
 

ART 223-Is a continuation of 222 concentrating entirely on wheel throwing, expanding on already         developed abilities with more advanced problems.  The projects this quarter are:

        1. 3 pitchers, different shapes, with pulled handles. (at least 8" tall.)
        2. 3 small bowls, explore shape.
        3. 3 wide plates or bowls, minimum of "16" across.
        4. 3 different types of lidded pots.
        5. One set of six items - either cups or mugs or bottles, or
           plates, or bowls.

SKETCHBOOK and Oral Research Report: All students will be expected to keep a sketchbook outside of class.  There will be a minimum of ten pages of sketches.  It is suggested that the student go to the library and check out Pottery books, Ceramics Monthly Magazine and/or visit area galleries and museums for sketchbook ideas as well as to prepare for an informal 3 minute oral report with visual examples of clay works.





GRADING: Grading will be based on: originality of concepts in the finished artwork, effort and improvement of technical ability, quiz, and sketchbook and oral report. Punctuality and class participation is mandatory.

1. Completed assignments              65%
2. In-class participation/clean-up    20%
3. Oral report                                  10%
4. Sketchbook                                 10%
5. Vocabulary Quiz                           5%



Students cannot receive a grade of W (withdraw) after the eight week of classes.  If you need to withdraw from this class for any reason, please do so before the final day of the eight week.

ATTENDANCE: Regular attendance is necessary for any satisfactory progress to be made in such a course. Your grade will be lowered one step for each absence over three, i.e., an A will become a A-, an A- will become a B+, a B+ will become a B, a B will become a B-, etc.

GENERAL EDUCATION OUTCOMES:

Outcome 2. Use quantitative reasoning processes to understand, analyze, interpret, and solve quantitative problems.

Outcome 4. Access, evaluate, and apply information from a variety of sources and a variety of contexts.

Outcome 6. Work and communicate effectively in groups.

Outcome 9. Understand artistic expression as an essentially human and cultural phenomenon.

STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES REGARDING STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
AS ENDORSED BY HUMANITIES & ADULT EDUCATION FACULTY


"Faculty and staff have learned through experience that classes run more smoothly and students perform better when everyone knows exactly what is expected of him or her. For this reason, your instructor has provided you with a course syllabus to explain how course content will be presented and how your performance of
course requirements will be measured.

Experience has also taught us that we can save class time, create a good learning
environment, avoid potential problems if we provide some basic guidelines for
appropriate behavior.  These are:

1.    Attend and participate in all classes.  If an emergency arises, notify your
    instructor if possible, so that he or she can provide information about
    assignments.  In non-emergency situations, please do not ask for excused
    absences.  The quarter is a highly concentrated term, missing even a few
    days necessarily affects how well you learn the material and perform in the
    class.

2.    Buy the books and other instructional materials assigned.  Do the reading.
    Turn in assignments in the form specified when they are due.  This is the
    minimum expected in any class.

3.    Organize class materials.  If your instructor has specific requirements
    for this process, follow them.  If not, use folders or notebooks.  Date
    class notes and handouts.

4.    Be sure that work you submit in class is your own.  Plagiarism is a violation
    of the student conduct code at NSCC.  When an instructor discovers that
    work is plagiarized, he or she will reject your work and may ask for your
    removal from class.

5.    See your instructor when you have questions or concerns about the class or
    your performance.  When you go to talk with your instructor, take your
    work with you so that you can refer directly to tests or papers.

    If you have a complaint, follow the established procedure, which begins
    with your instructor; only if that fails do you go to the division chairperson.

6.    Observe simple courtesy toward your instructor and classmates.  Get to class
    on time.  Let your instructor know if you must leave a few minutes early
    and make your exit quietly.  Carrying on conversations, slamming doors,
    opening pop cans or eating lunch distracts 20 to 30 other people and interferes
    with their learning."



 

email: Liza Halvorsen <lhalvorsen@sccd.ctc.edu>
phone: office 206-528-4537

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 NORTH SEATTLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE - 9600 COLLEGE WAY N., SEATTLE, WA 98125
ART DEPARTMENT (206) 528-4535 email - echriste@sccd.ctc.edu