While there are many art classes that deal with drawing and painting a 2D image, some may prefer a tactile approach, like in ceramics.

Taught by instructor Jennifer Younger, ceramics is in the category of art classes that involves students working with, firing and glazing clay.

“I’ve only done ceramics-focused classes at Hays High,” Younger said. “It’s really fun to do, and it lets you be creative.”

The two classes taught by Younger are wheel-thrown and hand-building. Wheel-thrown is the use of pottery wheels to make pots or bowls, while hand building is just any type of sculpting.

Younger said in order to take wheel-thrown, students must have taken hand-building first, which is a one-semester class. To take hand-building, a student must have taken art exploration.

“It’s not that hard,” Younger said. “Everyone learns at different paces, so we have to try to keep them on the same page.”

Younger said that ceramics has many firing styles to try in her more advanced class, like Raku, a japanese method for firing clay that involves putting clay in to fire quickly, and then removing to let it cool.

Younger also has a large variety of glazes and under-glazes, which can be put into high fire or low fire.

One student who takes ceramics is senior Jennifer Vallejo, who made a large, clay sculpture covered in flowers. This is her first time taking ceramics.

“I think it’s a really good class to take if you’re interested in making 3D objects,” Vallejo said.

Vallejo said that she is also enrolled in painting.

“You can create anything in here,” Vallejo said. “I really like that.”

18elee@usd489.com