The Art of Ceramics

Ash Merritt
Assistant Editor 
  Bonneville High School (BHS) provides three different types of art classes for its students. BHS offers Art, Ceramics, and Photography classes, each having their own unique styles and techniques. Ceramics is taught by Mrs. Schrey, a teacher with a love for ceramics since being in college, Schrey chose to pursue it as a career here at BHS. The ceramics classes she provides include: Ceramics I, Ceramics II, and Ceramics III [fill with proper name of class]. 
  The Ceramics classes advance in order and are level based. Ceramics I is all about the beginning of attaining this art style, learning about basic building techniques, and how to not explode the clay in the kiln. Ceramics II teaches advanced building techniques and surface finishes: underglaze, oil paint, and acrylics. While Ceramics III gives a bit more freedom and lets the students use the skills they learned in their previous classes to create masterpieces of their own. 
  The tools for ceramics are mostly the same for each class. Each student receives an assigned tool bag. Ceramics have classroom tools for students to use instead of their own. Traditional wooden tools and loop tools are the norm; however, sometimes students must be creative and use a piece of a comb for scoring the clay. Loop tools are used for taking controlled amounts of clay out of the ceramic piece. Some of the many uses of traditional wooden tools: which are used for cutting, slicing, smoothing, contouring, and pattern decorating. 
  Mrs. Schrey expresses that she can tell when a student is struggling with their project by looking at their work, time management and craftsmanship to show if they need help or not. She walks around the room to correct anyone who is not understanding or getting their work done in a timely manner. The rules Mrs. Schrey gives her classes are, be responsible for yourself, be respectful to others, and never run with scissors. Taking a Ceramics class is a learning experience and can be a creative outlet. For many students taking a lump of clay and making it into something they enjoy or can use is rewarding.

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