Clay Classes
'Imagination is more important than knowledge'
Albert Einstein
Isn't a child's imagination a wonderful thing? They just love to play with clay. It is so good for them to squish it and roll it and mould it into whatever their imagination takes them.
When children do have the opportunity to play with clay in school they usually make little coil pots or pinch pots but they often don't have the facilities to fire them so they get broken and don’t last. I want to harness that wonderful creativity that children have at this early age give them the opportunity to make something that they can treasure forever and remind them when they are grown up of that freedom of expression they once had.
At St Tola’s National School, in Shannon we made some amazing clay pictures and name plaques to be hung on the wall. Watching how all the children got so engrossed in their creativity was wonderful, chatting about what they were doing and asking questions, it was so much fun. I took away the clay pieces and bisque fired them and came back the following week with tubs of bright coloured Mayco glazes for them to paint their pieces. They were so excited to be glazing their artwork and the amazement and delight of the children (and the parents/guardians) when they saw the finished brightly coloured shiny ceramic piece after it had been fired was fantastic.
They got to see the transformation from clay to a finished glazed ceramic piece that can now be treasured forever.
Just look at their amazing artwork here……