Technical Resources for inquiring minds!

On my 59th birthday, I gave a talk at the annual National Conference for the Education of Ceramic Arts (NCECA22@Sacremento). The title was Mid-life Tech: Transitions in teaching and artistic practice.

Talk description: The desire to introduce her undergraduate students to new processes in clay led Lisa Lockman on a journey for an understanding of contemporary technologies such as 3D printing, CNC, and laser cutting. Initially, she didn’t expect to use the technology herself; after all, she isn’t a “technology native”. Ironically, technology has expanded the boundaries of her ceramic practice and re-energized her teaching. This talk chronicles that journey.

Afterwards, several people approached me with stories of a similar path. Hopefully this page will serve as a resource, open some opportunities, and spark some conversation. Check back as I continue to add content.

Innovation Studio in Lincoln, Nebraska has a great program if you can’t get to a makerspace or don’t have the skills to do what you need. Hire someone!

https://innovationstudio-manager.unl.edu/maker_request

Learn the basics of 3D modeling with TinkerCad. I use this free software with the students in all my classes. It has great tutorials - start with “Learn the Basics” and then move onto the various ring and button lessons. When students successfully complete the chess pawn lesson, they are ready to work on their own original designs. If you need help, check out the myriad of TinkerCad tutorials online. https://www.tinkercad.com

The Bezier Game is designed to "help you master the pen tool” in Illustrator: https://bezier.method.ac

If you are new to the pen tool, start with this game: https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/games/pen-tool-game/