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Clay Modeling

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Clay Modeling III: The Modeling Board

This blog is the 3rd in a series on clay modeling.

What is a Modeling Board?

A modeling board is simply a surface on which to make a clay model. In this figure, taken from Unwin’s A Manual of Clay Modelling for Teachers and Scholars, there is also a vertical piece called an armature. When I use the term modeling board, I am referring to this combination of a board and armature.

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Is a Modeling Board Necessary?

As I was preparing to teach clay modeling in our co-op, I read and reread Unwin’s manual. Having no background in art outside of a few middle school classes, everything was new to me. While her principles and directions were inspiring and clear, the materials I needed were another matter. I have written about finding the clay. Another challenge was the modeling board. [Read more…] about Clay Modeling III: The Modeling Board

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Clay Modeling II: The Clay

This blog is the 2nd in series on clay modeling.

The Clay

With our manual in hand, it was now time to choose clay.  I had a few factors which greatly influenced my decision.

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  1. Cost.  We have over 20 children in our learning community, so cost was definitely a factor.
  2. Curing method. We did not have easy access to a kiln, so air dry or home oven dry were our only choices.
  3. Quantity.  Over the course of the year, it was clear each child (depending on which models families chose to keep) could need as much as 5 lbs of clay.
  4. Appearance.  We want our models to be beautiful.

I was also guided by this paragraph on p. 12 in the A Manual of Clay-Modelling:

21. Terra-cotta clay is the best material for the work. The red clay has the advantage of pleasant colour, and it is also, if properly prepared, smooth and free from grit.

I settled on the 10-pound box of terra cotta AMACO Air Dry Modeling Clay.Charlotte Mason Educational Retreat [Read more…] about Clay Modeling II: The Clay

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Clay Modeling I: The Manual

Charlotte Mason Educational Retreat

A Year of Clay Modeling

I will be spending the next year in our local cooperative community guiding the handicraft of clay modeling.   I thought it would be interesting to journal our experiences and all those things we learn along the way.  Hopefully, this record will help others as they try the handicraft of clay modeling.  You can find the other posts in this series here.

The Manual

We will be using A Manual of Clay Modelling for Teachers and Scholars by Mary Louisa Hermione Unwin.  I was led to this manual through the Alveary booklist and upon further research, I learned that it actually appeared on the PNEU programmes.  This in and of itself didn’t mean that we needed to use the manual, but after I took a look at it and then researching other books, I couldn’t find anything comparable.  This left me very comfortable proceeding with Unwin’s manual. [Read more…] about Clay Modeling I: The Manual