Across the cafeteria, the Intro to Ceramics and World Crafts class has decorate the hallway with a festive spirit full of winter joy with the help of luminary snowmen!
The Intro to Ceramics and World Crafts class is run by both Ms. Seiss and Mrs. Bartelloni in which over 125 students are enrolled. The class focuses on both working with clay and ceramics and different crafts from around the world. Currently, the classes are working on their whimsical luminaries and homes around the world project.
Mrs. Bartelloni, an Intro to Ceramics and World Crafts teacher, said that, “The idea was to create whimsical luminaries for the winter season and most students chose to do snowmen since they are very fun and festive!” This idea came about because a lot of cultures around the world celebrate and honor light around this season.
Many festivals honor light during the winter season: lighting the menorah for Hanukkah, releasing sky lanterns for the Tazaungdaing Festival of light, the festival of lights in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Fete des Lumieres in Lyon, France, and the Alumbrados Navideños Festival from Medellín, Colombia. These festivals all celebrate light and the importance it holds in people’s lives all around the globe. This was one of the main inspirations for the luminaries.
The project also incorporates the different ceramics construction methods that they learned earlier in the year such as handling by rolling out slabs of clay. There is also the method of glazing the actual clay after the first firing in the kiln. The advanced ceramics students also used a technique called sgraffito where they are glazed and etched before being allowed to dry and then are allowed to be fired for the first time and are then fired again with a clear cover over them.
The classes begun their projects when they got back from Thanksgiving break. The students then constructed them and added their details which took about three to four class periods. Next, they were given time to dry and then underwent the two part firing process. The kiln is able to fit about 30-50 items inside depending on the shape and size of the luminary. They can be up to 10 inches height-wise, although most are a little shorter. Kilns also take up a lot of energy to fire so it’s crucial that it’s filled up as much as possible.
Mrs. Bartelloni said, “That’s the interesting thing about this class, while our ceramics are being fired and dried and glazed and such, we’re also able working on crafts. So, there a lot of overlap going on in the room at all times.”
The students have put a lot of work into their project and are excited to be able to see the results of how they will turn out. Sofia Volosatova, a sophomore, commented that she felt the most difficult part of the process was, “It kept cracking everywhere, so I had to, like, spend a long time fixing it, but it turned out great in the end.” Another sophomore, Ethan Gonzales has stated that he had the most fun, “making the designs, like I added a Santa hat that’s detachable and making a carrot nose.”
The luminaries should be ready for students to take home before winter break comes around. When asked about she was going to use the luminary for, Melanie Deleon, a freshman, commented that, “I’m really excited to give it away to my mom!” Aside from making a very nice holiday gift, these whimsical luminaries make very nice decorations for the winter-time.
