Un-molding Rigid Expectations Posted Jun-26-2006
What I Learned at Kids Art Camp — Lesson #1: Clay is for Play
If you're frustrated over your lack of wheel-thrown pottery mastery or hand-building skillery, a couple hours with a classroom of kids who each have a hunk of organic terra-cotta clay will fix you right up.

Yes, in the imaginative world of under-ten-year-olds, the rules of engagement of intermediate clay craftery need not apply. Through a child's eye, pinch-pots are really elaborate stoneware vessels, and gravity-defying stick-on clay pieces need not be assembled with ultimate care. In the end all that matters is that a clay hotdog-in-a-bun or ice cream cone only resemble said food, and what the clay doesn't express in form and function the painted-on color will.

With fun-atic faith the clay creations will hopefully survive the kiln-firing, and should they decide to explode, plenty of glue will piece together whatever the imagination has conjured up. That is, if it doesn't disintegrate and *disappear* first. If it does, a moment of silence will be given, a shrugging of shoulders will occur, and a clay-full kid will happily gravitate towards the next fun thing. •

© 2006 Chris Dunmire www.chrisdunmire.com. All rights reserved.