This document provides objectives and instructions for students to design and sculpt clay gargoyles. The objectives are to understand gargoyles in architecture and art history, create a clay gargoyle using hand-building techniques that demonstrates skill and craftsmanship, and write an artist statement. The document describes gargoyles' origins as water spouts and their symbolic purpose of warding off evil. It instructs students to sketch designs and sculpt their gargoyles using pinch, slab, and coil methods, adding details like tongues and horns. The goals are for sculptures to be hollow inside and constructed in separate joined pieces.

1. Objectives:
I can:
1. Understand the significance of gargoyles and their relationship to architecture, symbolism and art
history.
2. Create a clay gargoyle with realistic and/or imaginary animal features.
3. Construct a clay sculpture using a variety of hand building techniques
4. Demonstrate skill and craftsmanship in working with clay and glazing.
5. Exhibit problem solving skills- plan and execute plan for animal with minimal assistance.
6. Write artist’s statements explaining their artistic decisions and creative processes.

2. "Legend has it that gargoyles ward off evil spirits - are any
protecting your castle and loved ones?"

3. Protectors
from Evil
in an
Imperfect
Man-Made
World

4. Gargoyles & Grotesques
Originally a gargoyle was a water spout and directing
water away from a building so that the water would not
erode the mortar. Over time the word gargoyle became
the term used to describe any and all the fantastic
creatures on a cathedral or other building.
After the introduction of the lead drain in the16th century,
gargoyles primarily serve a decorative
purpose. This guy — on a church
in the South of France —is a true
gargoyle. One can see how the water
Would leave the building and travel
along the gargoyle and out the mouth.

5. Gargoyles
 Folklore held that gargoyles are good luck and
frightened away evil spirits — while serving its
practical function of carrying rain water away.
 "One can think of wyverns (a two legged winged
dragon of medieval legend) as sort of 'holy pit
bulls,' whose job is to dispel the evil forces,
lightning, plague, war, and other calamities that
may threaten the cathedral and the city.

6. They are often
a fantastic
display of
inhuman birds,
impossible
animals, and
half-human
mammals that
are crouching,
grimacing, and
ready to spring
into space and
pounce upon
the world!

12. What You Do:
 You are to create your own gargoyle designs.
 You have to draw sketches of your creations,
then you have to hand sculpt your forms in
clay.

13. Jim Henson’s Muppets
 Jim Henson used different ideas
to make each muppet character
individual
 Some characters are based on
animals, monsters, made-up
creatures, and even humans!

14. Who did these
sketches
become?
Bert & Ernie!

15. Working With Clay:
 Clay artists throughout the ages have
invented many ways to shape things out of
clay.
 PINCH - Use your fingers to pinch and poke
a single lump of clay into any shape.
 SLAB - Roll the clay into flat sheets (like a
pie crust) to cut apart and assemble.
 COIL - Roll out long snakes of clay and twist
them into coils and shapes.
 WHEEL - Spin clay on a potter's wheel to
form pots and vases.

16. What To Do:
 Clay is a wonderful sculpting material and
experiment w/a small piece of clay before you
begin your sculpture.
 Different techniques to use: coils, slabs, pinch etc.
 Build the clay up slowly using small bits and
adding more and more clay. Moisten the clay
when it starts to get a little dry.
 Using your fingers, popsicle sticks, plastic forks
etc. details can be added like a nose, eyes, mouth
etc. (Did you include some of the following:
tongues sticking out, horns coming out of heads
and huge eyes! )

17. Studio TO DO:
1. Create 2 sketches/possibilities for your clay gargoyle/monster
2. Begin working with clay using different handbuilding
techniques to create your gargoyle
3. Build the body using two joined pinch pots or joined coils
4. Use slabs, pinched clay or coils for the arms/legs
5. Shape the face using your fingers & clay tools
6. Texture, Texture, Texture: wings, scales, fur, etc…

18. Some Tools to Use When
Working with Clay:
 Your fingers
 Rolling pins and canvas
 Popsicle sticks and toothpicks
 Plastic bags
 Sponges
 Various carving tools, nuts and bolts,
forks, old toothbrushes and anything
else you can get your hands on that will
create texture in the clay

20. Gargoyle Goals:
 Create a gargoyle= INSIDE must be
EMPTY/Hollow!
 Use 1 piece of clay for the body.
 Get a 2nd piece of clay for the head,
wings/arms/fangs/horns etc
 Make sure you SMOOTH the attached
pieces together. (Ex: if add horns – smooth
onto the body)