Clay Modeling

This blog is the 2nd in a year-long 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.

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.

Where to Get the Clay

The clay is available through several locations.  You can order it on Amazon, but I found our most economical decision was to buy it locally at Hobby Lobby.  Our store stocks it for $10.95 a box, and I was able to purchase it with a 40% off coupon.

Clay Storage

I first chose to store the clay in a simple Ziploc bag; my clay is still in this bag.  For the children, I made the decision to upgrade to bags with sliders to hopefully minimize the possibility of a bag not being sealed properly and the clay drying out.  If you do this, go with a name brand bag.  I tried to save some money by buying a store brand, and several of the bags quickly failed.  I like the bags as they simplify reconstituting the clay, because you can kneed it right in the bag.  The bags seem to be working for the children, but I may experiment in the future with a recycled plastic container.

Initial Thoughts

So far, the clay seems good.  I have used it to make slabs and several oranges.  It takes awhile to dry (several days), but the models do dry hard.  I have also resoftened hardened clay, though this takes several days as well.  The clay is messy but is also very easy to clean up.  I will most likely experiment with other clays in the future, and I’ll share what I find.

Next time, I will share about the tools I have chosen for us to use.

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.

Where to Get the Manual

Unwin wrote A Manual of Clay Modelling in 1895, and it is out of copy-right.  It is available for free on Hathi Trust (where you can download individual page PDFs) and Google Books (where you can download the whole book as a PDF), or it can be purchased from Yesterday’s Classics or Amazon.

I chose to download the manual and have it printed through Best Value Copy.  This was very economical as it was part of another order qualifying for free shipping.

Wherever you choose to get your manual, I highly recommend you have it spiral or comb bound or put it in a 3-ring binder so it can lay open flat or fold back on itself.  As you work with clay, your hands are going to be quite messy, and you don’t want to find your self struggling to keep a manual open.

Once You Have the Manual in Hand

It is good to read the preface and introduction.  If you are pressed for time, skip the preface for now, but do not skip the introduction.

Next time, I will share about the clay I have chosen for us to use.