Visual Arts Lesson: Platter

Creating a clay pinch pot

Relevant TEKS

•Knowledge and skills. Complete TEKS for 6th grade art.

1. Perception: b.
2. Creative expression/performance: c.
3. Historical cultural heritage: b.

•The students will be able to identify and define horror vacui.

•The students will create their own pinch pot vessels with no empty spaces.

Introducing the
Work of Art

Description

Large Image

•Have students view an image of the platter.

•Discuss horror vacui (fear of empty spaces) and how this piece illustrates this.

•Discuss how the decorations are from several different influences.

Art Activity

Supplies:
clay
watercolors

•Students will start with a ball of clay. They will push their thumbs into the center and begin to pinch up the walls, turning the ball as they go to keep the sides an even thickness. Finish by patting the bottom on a hard surface to flatten it.

•Once the clay pot is completely dry it can be fired. Students can paint on it with watercolors.

•Have the students pick one color to paint with on their pot.

•There should be no empty spaces on their pot (a la horror vacui). They should use different patterns all over the pot.