August, 2007 begins the seventh year I have had the privilege to teach Sculpture/Ceramics to 10th, 11th and 12th graders at All Saints. I have found that high school artists are no different than any other artists; they love to experiment, they are great problem-solvers, they respond to positive feedback, and they feel great accomplishment when they create something beautiful.

Many students and parents ask me why it is necessary to to take the prerequisite Beginning Art in order to sign up for Sculpture/Ceramics. The answer is twofold. Firstly, the Beginning Art curriculum introduces fundamentals that are useful in all forms of art. Students learn about the basic elements and principles of art, as well as the rules of composition. I have found that working on the potter’s wheel gives me a new perspective when I tackle a painting, and putting together a collage helps me enormously when trying my hand at sculpture. They are all connected. The second reason for the prerequisite is that students in Sculpture/Ceramics classes are all creating different works at different times. Not every student finishes a sculpture on the same day, and not every student can use the potter’s wheel every day. Students must take their own initiative, with guidance, in the works they create. This necessitates a certain level of maturity not often found before the sophomore level.

In the Sculpture/Ceramics studio, work ethic reigns supreme, second only to safety. The goals I have set for my students are that they 1) develop a superior work ethic, 2) learn that if they pay great attention to the process, then the product will take care of itself, and 3) experience the joy of accomplishment.

Please feel free to contact me at the school if I can answer any questions about our program. Perhaps I can convey to you the energy that abounds in our studio. Watching these talented students create works of art from lumps of clay is PURE MAGIC!