Pinch Pot Monsters

After our art and music around the world journey, 2nd grade artists ended this year by making clay pinch pot monsters. We began by discussing the properties of clay and how clay has been used by cultures around the world to create pottery and ceramic objects. 

We began our pinch pot monsters by forming a pinch pot with a ball of clay. Students pushed their thumbs in the middle of the clay ball and then pinched around in a circle to create a pot or bowl shape. Then, we turned them on their side and added details to create monsters. Some students chose to add tongues, teeth, multiple eyes, and horns.

Students made sure to score or scratch up the clay and use slip to add their smaller detailed pieces to their pinch pot, so that everything would stay on. After getting bisque fired in the kiln, students used glaze to add color to their monsters. Students moved to different color stations depending on which colors of glaze they wanted to use and painted three layers of each color.

Students got their pinch pot monsters back after they had been glaze fired in the kiln. Some classes had time to make a background for their monster. We brainstormed different ideas, such as a stage, forest, outer space, underwater and a park. Below are some examples of our pinch pot monsters:

Raffi, 2nd grade (O'Connor)

Ava, 2nd grade (O'Leary)

Priya, 2nd grade (O'Leary)

Yensi, 2nd grade (O'Connor)

Sophia, 2nd grade (O'Connor)

Brixton, 2nd grade (O'Connor)

Mariam, 2nd grade (Pearse)

Mackenzie, 2nd grade (O'Connor)

Ketly, 2nd grade (Pearse)

Imaginary Monster Collages

After listening to Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley, 1st and 2nd grade artists created their own imaginary monster collage. 

We thought about how we could cut a variety of different shapes, both geometric and organic, to create our monsters. We also added details, like sharp teeth, hair, tails and multiple eyes.

Gavin, 1st Grade

Jaylyn, 2nd Grade

Some of our monsters are featured on a bulletin board in the connector hallway, near the music room, so be sure to check them out!