Arts in Human Development - Creative Practice - Week 7

For my week 7 creative practice blog, I tried for my first time creating a vessel with paper clay, using the pinch pot technique, as a developmentally appropriate product for someone who is an older adult. Being a ceramic sculptor, I recently expressed in one of my discussion posts my desire to work with my patients using clay. My instructors suggested paper clay, because there is no dust, safe for the patients, can be painted and dries to a hardened surface similar to thin wood.  I purchased 2 small rectangular  packaged blocks of paper clay, which will fit perfect on my art cart. I have been interested in trying clay with my older adult patients, because I think it may spark their interest, help them with movement in their hands and overall lift their spirits to make them feel better.

Since I had not worked with paper clay before, I thought using a simple pinch pot technique would be good to see how similar it was to regular clay that I am used to.  I tried to push the paper clay's limits by making real thin edges, pinching lace on to the outside for texture, etc.  I really liked the clay and the way it felt, it molded nicely and it was very soft and easy to pinch, which would be good for an older adult patient.  The clay did not dry out while I was working on it and my hands were left clean instead of dry with clay on them. There was hardly any clean up. After I started getting comfortable with the paper clay I realized it reminded me of working with porcelain clay, which I absolutely love!  Once my vessel dries I plan to explore painting and carving the hardened paper clay.

I am so excited to try paper clay this week at the hospital with my older adult patients. I had a patient express to me how she did not like creating art however she had always wanted to try making something out of clay. I plan to have the patients make simple Christmas ornaments, tiles they stamp and paint and pinch pots.  One idea I had would be for them to create a “Life Memory Vessel”.  This would be a pinch pot with a lid that they would make with the paper clay and paint. It would have a design of their name on the outside.  Next I would have them on a piece of paper write or I would write for them a special memory of their life and roll it up like a scroll and put it inside the life memory vessel.