{"product_id":"zart-clay-and-modelling-skills-mat-silicone-with-first-nations-symbols-by-jo-wilson","title":"Zart Clay and Modelling Skills Mat Silicone with First Nations Symbols by Jo Wilson","description":"\u003ch2\u003eA work surface that teaches while it protects the desk\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReusable silicone. Guided modelling techniques. First Nations symbols. $15.00.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMost clay mats are just a mat.\u003c\/strong\u003e This one has the foundational techniques printed on it - the coil, the pinch, the slab, the join - so a student working alone has the method in front of them instead of waiting for the teacher to come round again. That is the difference between one demonstration reaching thirty students and reaching six.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSilicone is the right material for clay.\u003c\/strong\u003e Clay does not stick to it, it wipes clean, and it does not soften and tear the way a plastic sheet does after a term of being scraped with a modelling tool.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe First Nations symbols are by Jo Wilson\u003c\/strong\u003e, a contemporary Aboriginal artist and a proud descendant of the Ngemba people of Brewarrina in north-western New South Wales. Zart credits her by name, which is the right way to do it - the symbols are her work, not generic clip art, and the mat gives students a reason to look at Australian First Nations art as part of a making lesson rather than as a separate topic.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIt suits every level.\u003c\/strong\u003e A beginner follows the techniques; a confident student uses it as a clean, non-stick surface and ignores the guide.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e$15.00 and reusable for years\u003c\/strong\u003e, which is cheaper over time than the boards it replaces.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eThree things Zart does not publish\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe size.\u003c\/strong\u003e Not one dimension anywhere. For a desk mat that is the first thing anyone asks.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe thickness.\u003c\/strong\u003e A thin silicone mat curls at the edges; a thick one stays flat.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhether it is oven safe.\u003c\/strong\u003e Silicone usually is, and polymer clay usually gets baked - but Zart does not say, and we are not going to tell you to put it in a school oven on an assumption. \u003cstrong\u003eDo not bake on it until we hear back.\u003c\/strong\u003e We have asked all three.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Zart","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53793535197547,"sku":"EVMLZ721","price":15.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0963\/2795\/8891\/files\/the-creative-school-supply-company-student-worksheets-default-title-clay-and-modelling-skills-mat-mlz721-49901605945620.jpg?v=1788378410","url":"https:\/\/megaofficesupplies.com.au\/products\/zart-clay-and-modelling-skills-mat-silicone-with-first-nations-symbols-by-jo-wilson","provider":"Mega Office Supplies","version":"1.0","type":"link"}