Design a vase form and create a template to guide your progress. Use coils to create an 8″ tall vessel.

Artists Research: Select two of the vessels shown on this page that interest you. Click on the picture to enlarge the image, sketch the form in your notebook, record when it was made, where it was made. Where is the widest and narrowest parts of the vessel? How do you think it was used? What features of the vessel will be an inspiration for your own work? Continue your research independently, seek out artworks and resources that will help you determine the look and design of your piece.

Artists Plan: Create at least three sketches of different vase forms. Carefully consider the foot, body, shoulder, neck and lip. Will it have handles or other additional features? When you decide on the form you are going to build create a sketch that is 8 inches tall, transfer to a piece of cardboard, cut it out, keep the negative space a construction guide. Think about how you might embellish the work.

Art Making Skills: Focus on refining your craft while building this project. Build it well, build it right using coils. Use the template to guide the placement of each coil. Work carefully. Do not work solid and then scoop out your work later, that is not an example of improving art making skills already learned and practiced in class.

Artists Solve Problems: Stick with it! Work through different possible solutions and try some when your plans don’t work as easily as you thought. Examine how you have been using the template, if the bottom portion of the vessel is off course, make it as symmetrical as possible then closely follow the template to finish the form. Before you change ideas or projects you must arrange a conference with the teacher.

Artists Reflect: Document your process and completed work in a blog post. Some questions you might address: What was successful about this work? What were some challenges? How would your process, form, time management change if you were building this art work again?