Learning About Art Glazes With a Classroom Mural Project

A classroom ceramic mural project is an inspiring way to involve students in learning basic ceramics and Acmi glazes techniques. Designing and producing their own ceramic tile wall mural not only teaches students the technique of ceramics, but also can be a great source of pride: it gives the students a sense of the value of collaboration, and of being able to make a permanent contribution to their school community. Moreover, the theme of the mural can be keyed to other classroom activities and lessons, such as social studies, science, geography, and art. Some possible subjects for a mural are plants and animals, undersea life, outer space, dinosaurs, athletic events, local history and landmarks, circus, flower gardens, etc. The art instructor can work together with classroom teachers to create lessons and provide supporting materials, so that the students have a good background understanding of the subject matter. The art instructor should prepare the students by explaining the differences between ceramic and painted murals, and exhibit historical examples of ceramic murals with slides. Depending upon the chosen subject, the students can be shown historical examples of art works with subjects similar to the theme of the projected mural, such as the paintings of Rousseau (for jungle animals); Moillet or Seurat (circus); or Impressionist garden paintings (flowers, landscapes).

The students should be directed to make individual drawings which illustrate different aspects of the completed mural. The student drawings - in different arrangements - can be projected onto a large paper fastened to the wall with an opaque projector, until a pleasing overall composition is found. Then the students can color the enlarged projection with crayons or markers to guide the selection of dipping glazes which will be used in the final mural. The paper drawing is then cut into 6-inch squares, each of which represents one tile. The squares of paper, and the unglazed commercial bisque tiles, should be labeled on the back with row and column numbers, so that it will be easy to recognize where they fit into the final mural. Underglazes are used to create the design or picture on the tile surfaces. These are safe and simple to use, and can be applied with a brush. Underglazes do not bleed or move when fired, and they take on deeper values when they are fired.

Clear art glazes can be poured over the tiles or brushed on in three coats (making sure that each coat is completely dry before applying the next one). If the glaze is applied by brush it is better to fire the underglazed tiles before applying the clear glaze, to avoid smearing (brush on the clear glaze and fire once more to cone 05). The kiln can be loaded in the afternoon and fired at 02 all night, then turned up the next morning and fired to cone 05. This way the kiln shuts off while school is in session, avoiding late-night trips to check the kiln. A 22" by 27" kiln can fire approximately sixty to eighty 6" by 6" tiles at a time. The final mural should be installed by a professional tile installer.

A ceramic tile mural project is an ideal way for students to learn about Acmi glazes and other art glazes. It can bring classroom subjects to life; and the permanent installation can serve as a point of student pride. Murals made with ceramic dipping glazes can be placed on the walls of hallways, cafeteria or gym, and on walls by doorways and drinking fountains.