Story Boxes

Slab Built - Lidded Container

Objectives:

Inspiration

I can incorporate symbolic elements & personal narratives into the design of my story box.

Development

I can sketch and plan my story box design, including the guardian figure and lid design.
I can create a project timeline and manage my time effectively to complete my artwork.
I can create a template to use when cutting out the parts of my slab box.

Creation

I can utilize 'hard slabs' (a handbuilding slab technique) to create my ceramic story box.
I can roll out even clay slabs of consistent thickness for my box construction.
I can score and slip clay pieces effectively to ensure strong connections between slabs.
I can use additive and subtractive decorative techniques to add unique features, imagery or details to their box.
I can create a well-fitting lid with a handle, that works with their personal story/theme
I can sculpt a three-dimensional guardian figure to be attached to the lid of my box.

Reflection/Revision

I can critique my own work and that of my peers, offering constructive feedback on craftsmanship and design.

Finishing

I can properly dry my clay piece to prevent warping or cracking.
I can choose appropriate glazes that complement my design and apply them correctly.

TEKS:

Foundations: Observation and Perception

TEKS: (c)(1) Students observe and analyze forms, textures, and designs in nature and cultural artifacts to inspire their guardian figure and box design.

They identify and understand the elements of art (line, shape, color, texture, form, space, and value) as they plan and create their story box.

Creative Expression

TEKS: (c)(2) Students create original artwork (the story box and guardian) to communicate thoughts, feelings, and ideas.

They use a variety of materials (clay, glazes, tools) to create a 3D sculpture.

Students solve visual problems through planning, designing, and creating their story box.

Historical and Cultural Relevance

TEKS: (c)(3) Students can research and incorporate historical or cultural influences in their guardian design.

They analyze and interpret artwork from various cultures that use guardian figures or storytelling vessels.

Critical Evaluation and Response

TEKS: (c)(4) Students self-evaluate their work throughout the creative process.

They participate in critiques, discussing their own work and that of their peers.

Specific examples of TEKS coverage:

(c)(2)(C) "produce drawings, paintings, prints, sculptures, ceramics, fiber art, photographic imagery, and digital art and media using a variety of materials." Coverage: Students are directly producing a ceramic sculpture.
(c)(2)(D) "create nonobjective artwork that explores color theory, patterns, textures, and shapes." Coverage: Students explore texture, pattern, and shape in their box design and guardian figure.
(c)(2)(F) "create artwork using a selection of materials and tools while exploring personal interests, experiences, and ideas." Coverage: Students select appropriate tools and materials to create their personal story box and guardian.
(c)(2)(B) "produce an original body of artwork that integrates information from a variety of sources, including original sources, and demonstrates sustained self-directed investigations into specific themes." Coverage: The story box project allows for sustained investigation into a personal theme, integrating research on guardians and storytelling traditions.
(c)(4)(B) "evaluate and analyze artwork using a verbal or written method of critique such as describing the artwork, analyzing the way it is organized, interpreting the artist's intention, and evaluating the success of the artwork." Coverage: Students participate in critique sessions, analyzing and discussing their own work and that of their peers.

Inspiration Artist : Peggy Thomas

Peggy was born and raised in Connecticut, attended Randolph Macon College, and graduated from the University of Connecticut. She studied art at several colleges throughout the USA over the years, and was apprenticed to a production potter. Finally settling in Florida, Peggy raised 5 children and taught art in the Indian River school system for 17 years. She now teaches clay art at the Vero Beach Art Museum.

Her Website

"Since I was a child making sculptures in the mud, art's been my life's journey. Everything I see is a composition, idea or story, a celebration of color and a way to create, catalogue, memorize, or alter my environment.

I love to create both the whimsical and beautiful, and tell subtle stories that evoke humor and joy."

What I love about boxes:

They hold treasures and precious things. Your grandmother's wedding ring, your baby teeth or photos
They keep secrets safe. Christmas lists, secret notes, an engagement ring you're not ready to give yet...
Boxes contain disorder and organize our messes. Trinkets, our sewing supplies, even spare batteries - They make all appear neat and tidy - and give your brain the space and energy it needs to be at ease.
The potential of boxes to hold surprises is unlimited! When you hold that box in your hand, you just don't know what's inside.
Empty space itself is magical - it's something that has yet to be filled - but maybe it will REMAIN empty. Empty space in a box will always be waiting for something precious or important; a treasure, a surprise, or a secret.
Wishes and hopes go into boxes - they just do. For instance when you give a gift. When you bake a cake FOR someone and carry it to them in your cake box. When you open a box and whisper the wish into it that can't be spoken aloud, and then you put the lid on it.
Boxes can also manipulate time with memories - you put something into a box and forget about it. When you open the box and find your memento, present time melts away and you are reliving another moment.

Pandora by John William Waterhouse, 1898

Imagine the myth of Pandora's box turned on its head. Open that box and only GOOD things come out of it - beautiful things, magical things! Good memories, good ideas, good times and more. Certainly not pestilence and war and world-wearying troubles …

That's my dream, and it fuels my infatuation with making handmade clay boxes.

- Peggy Thomas

More Inspiration Artists

Inspiration Artwork

These are for Inspiration - Do Not Copy...they are not from this project, so they probably do not meet all of the requirements either.

Historical Ceramic Boxes with Guardians

Ancient Egyptian Canopic Jars:

These were ceramic boxes or jars used to store the internal organs of mummies during the mummification process. Each jar was typically adorned with the head of a protective deity.

Greek Pyxis:

These were cylindrical boxes with lids, often made of ceramic, used by women to store cosmetics, jewelry, and small personal items. They often featured mythological scenes or daily life.

Chinese Burial Urns:

Ceramic boxes and urns were used in ancient China to hold the ashes of the deceased. These were often elaborately decorated and considered important grave goods.

Mayan Funerary Boxes:

The Maya created ceramic boxes to hold offerings for the dead. These were often decorated with glyphs and images related to Mayan cosmology and beliefs about the afterlife.

Vocabulary:

Guardian Figure: A protective or guiding character in stories or beliefs.

Narrative: A spoken or written account of connected events; a story.

Symbolism: The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities in art or literature.

Template: A guide, usually made from paper, to assist in planning and cutting of shapes.

Hard Slab: Hard slab is a method of slab building that uses clay sheets that are partially dry, or leather-hard, to create angular, complex shapes.

Hand Modeling: is a ceramic technique that involves using your hands, fingers and tools to shape clay into forms.

Texture: The surface quality of an object that can be perceived by touch or sight (Element of Art).

Leather-hard: The stage when clay is partially dry and can be handled without deformation.

Soft Leather-hard: The stage when clay is firm and can hold it's shape, but is not yet leather-hard. A stage when clay can still be attached to each other and manipulated.

Relief: A method of molding or carving in which the design stands out from a flat background.

Additive - Involves adding material to a surface (adding clay to make texture or an image).
Subtractive - Involves removing material from a surface (using tools to carve an image into clay).

Project Steps

Check out the resources and project steps below.

Step 1: Planning - Brainstorming

Open your sketchbook and brainstorm special moments, people, and memories of your life (think mind map/brainstorming techniques).

Your goal is to discover a personally meaningful "guardian," who will protect and lead you through your "story."

Come up with at least 5 different, specific ideas.

Your guardian could be:

- - something that is meaningful to you:
    - - an object that represents a strong personal goal
        an object that represents a meaningful moment/time in your life
        something that represents an important place
  - an animal
    - - a pet (past or present)
        a spirit animal
  - a "totem" aspect - that represents you personally (or your family)
  - a person that is important to your life (past or present)

Step 2: Design - Draw it out!

Once you have at least 5 ideas, choose your favorite and begin step 2: planning your box imagery.

---> What environment do you think your guardian belongs in?

---> What clues (symbolic elements) can you include that will lead others to understand your personal narrative (story)?

---> What are the most important aspects of your guardian? And how are they connected to YOU?

Draw out all sides, top and bottom.

Think it through completely and then draw out your ideas in a way that you can show them to Mrs. Lusk to get them approved. Expect questions and to be told to go back and revise or draw it out more clearly.

Step 3: Make a Template & Cut Out Slabs

Create template(s)
- - Make a box at least 5” long X 5” wide X 5 inches tall with a lid (cut out six total pieces)
Roll out your slab to 3/8″ thick.
Use a rubber rib to smooth out and condense the clay slab before cutting out your pieces.
Lay templates on top of the clay and use a needle tool to cut them out.
Stack them with a piece of paper between them. Put the template on top so you know which pieces is what!
Allow your pieces to firm up (soft - leather hard)
- - They still need to be bagged up until the next day, just leave them on paper, add a piece on top, then lay another board on top (this will help them to not warp)
  - Do not leave on the particle boards for too long - they will mold

Using a bevel cutter makes for a cleaner attachment, but is an optional step

Step 4: Construction

Score and slip to attach the pieces together
Slightly rock the pieces together, squishing out extra slip and helping to make a better bond
Once you have pieces together, it will be quite stable
Add coils in the corners to strengthen the joints
Smooth out the coils

Step 5: Lid Construction

There are several ways to add a lid, but many more ways to alter those basic techniques.
Making the lid unique and working with incorporating your designs is up to you.
Keep in mind on how you will be attaching your guardian to the lid...
There are more advanced ideas towards the end of the page.

#1 By making a piece that covers the top and adding clay (usually a coil or strip of slab) to the bottom of the lid slab, close to the walls, so that it keeps the lid on the box.

#2 By sealing the top slab to the sides (now it is enclosed with air trapped inside) and then cutting the lid off. Usually you will go down the walls some. Then add a strip of slab to the inside and smooth it out.

#3 This is a combination of #2 - but instead of making it straight, the cut line can be anything! This can be used without the inside guides because it will stay inside the cut shapes. It can still be made with the guides for an even more refined and safe construction for use.

Step 6: Adding Feet

Adding feet to your box adds a lot of interest and can go along way towards giving it a sense of style or design that you want.
This is the time to also add your name and period to the bottom of your work

Step 7: Hand Modeling Your Guardian

This is where you will work with hand modeling and sculpt your design.
If any part of your design is thicker than your thumb - hollow it out and poke a hole into it/work it into the design
You may want to work on the guardian while your slabs firm up....etc.... which is fine!
If your box is complete - make sure you have it bagged up well...you do not want it to continue to dry out or you will not be able to add your guardian to the top, nor work on any designs on the sides of your box.

Step 8: Side Designs

Next you will want to bring it all together by completing your planned designs on the sides of your box.
Think about ways you can incorporate both additive and subtractive designs.
You may also work with underglaze to add imagery, but you should have additive and subtractive work too.
Whatever work you DO have should be excellent... much time and effort should be obvious...and it should have been ok'd by Mrs. Lusk in the planning stage.

Link to Some Helpful Techniques

Subtractive - the artist took away clay to lower the surface in areas (like the background and the texture of the lily pad)

Additive - the artist added clay to the surface to make things that are popped out more (like the fish)

Step 9: Any Underglaze Work & Bisque Fire

If you would like to work with underglazes, this is the time to do them, especially if you want to layer them, or to layer under regular glaze
If you are using underglazes - make sure you start a Glaze Plan, and record which underglazes you are using
Once your work is completely done, make sure you slow dry to keep small details from cracking off.
Take several photos, turn them into Google Classroom
Place your finished piece into the kiln room on the bisque racks

Step 10: Glaze Work

After your work has been bisque fired, it is time to glaze
Start a Glaze Plan, take a photo and turn it in to Google Classroom
Make sure you have 3 coats everywhere you are glazing
If you used underglaze, then you will want to add a coat of clear glaze on top
There are alternate ways to finish this...more to come

Other Resources

How-To with Pictures instead of a Video

Advanced Ideas

Deeper Thinking Questions:

How does the concept of a "guardian" change across different cultures? How might this influence your design choices?

In what ways can the form of your box itself become part of the narrative you're trying to tell?

How can you use symbolism in your guardian figure and box design to convey complex ideas or emotions?

How does the tactile nature of clay influence the way you tell your story compared to other mediums like writing or painting?

How can the interior space of the box be utilized to enhance the storytelling aspect of your piece?

In what ways can the guardian figure interact with or complement the design of the box?

How might the choice of glaze colors and textures contribute to the mood or theme of your story?

How can you incorporate elements of personal identity or cultural heritage into your story box design?

How does the concept of containment (the box holding a story) relate to broader themes in art or life?

In what ways can negative space be used effectively in your design to enhance the narrative?

How might the scale of your guardian figure in relation to the box affect the viewer's interpretation of your piece?

How can you use texture on both the box and the guardian figure to create a cohesive narrative?

How does the permanence of fired clay influence your approach to storytelling through this medium?

In what ways can the opening and closing of the box be incorporated into the narrative of your piece?

How might your story box design change if it were intended for a public space versus a private one?

How can you balance functionality (as a box) with artistic expression in your design?

How might future generations interpret your story box? What elements could make it timeless or tied to a specific era?

How does the three-dimensional nature of this project affect your storytelling compared to two-dimensional art forms?

In what ways can you incorporate multiple perspectives or layers of meaning into your story box design?

How might the process of creating this story box change your understanding of storytelling in general?

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