Slump Mold
My plan for this project was to make a medium-sized plate, underglazed with a caterpillar design. After my first trial, the plate wasn't dry enough to remove from the mold and ripped. On my second try, I added cornstarch to combat this issue. I also let it dry longer and used the hairdryer. This time, the plate came off more easily, and I began underglazing. Unfortunately, I never found my project after it was fired.
Sgrafifto
My goal for this piece was to make a functional cat food bowl. I planned to start with a circular slab and attach another rectangular slab around the edges. This would create the wall of the bowl. After scoring and slipping this together, I underglazed the piece. Then, I dried the paint with a hairdryer and began to sketch my design with a signing tool. After I had made this light sketch, I went in and carved it out. After the bowl had been fired, I went in with clear glaze. I'm very proud of how this piece came out and enjoyed learning a new technique.
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Relief Carving
My idea for this project was to create a coaster that could be given as a gift for the holidays. I began by rolling out my clay to make sure it was evenly flattened. Following this, I lightly sketched out my design with a signing tool. Once I was happy with the light sketch, I began to carve into the clay. I decided to underglaze this piece and painted the sun orange and the background yellow. On the back, I carved the year and a short message wishing the recipient a merry Christmas. The photo I've included to the right is only the most recent one I have and doesn't include color or clear glaze, as my piece is currently in the kiln.
Coil Building
My plan for this piece was to create a shallow bowl that could be used to hold jewelry or simply as decoration. On my first try, the coils were much too thin, and I hadn't slipped and scored them properly. Due to this, it fell apart when I tried to remove it from the bowl. On my second try, I used a thin plastic bag to sit between the clay and the mold. This helped with sticking when I removed it later. I also smoothed the inside of the bowl to ensure the coils were properly connected. I glazed this piece with mid-fire glaze.
Slab with darts
My goal for this project was to make a small mug that could be given as a gift for the holidays. I began by rolling out a slab of clay. Then, I cut out one triangle and used it as a guide for the others. After scoring and slipping these together, I started to work on the handle. I wanted to make it interesting, but was unsure how to go about it. After looking on Pinterest for inspiration, I added a small spiral towards the bottom of the handle. Because it's so tightly wound, creating this spiral took two tries before I was satisfied with it. I glazed the piece with mid-fire, and overall I'm very proud of the way it turned out.
Choice
My idea for this piece was to create another holiday gift. I wanted to make a festive decoration and decided on a snowman. To make sure everything was hollow, I started by making three pinch pots, differing in size. Then, I cut a small circle into the bottom of each pot. I slipped and scored each one of these together before going in with more detail. If I had to change anything about this piece, I would add a hat to my snowman. The photo to the right is only the most recent, as my piece is currently in the kiln.
semester 1 final
This piece was inspired by George Stubbs ' Whistlejacket. Born on August 25, 1724, Stubbs first decided to become an artist around age 15. His father was reluctant at first to this idea, yet he eventually warmed up to it. Stubbs approached Hamlet Winstanley, and he later became his apprentice. Following this, Stubbs was mostly self-taught. From 1745 to 1753, he worked as a portrait painter and studied human anatomy at York County Hospital. Two years after visiting Italy in 1756, Stubbs rented a farmhouse to continue his education on anatomy. He spent 18 months here dissecting horses, assisted by Mary Spencer. Today, his painting, Whistlejacket, can be found in the National Gallery in London. I was drawn to his work because of the movement and intricacy of it. I also enjoyed his color choice. My plan to recreate this piece was to make a functional relief carving. I began by rolling out a slab and cutting this into a square. Then, I lightly sketched out the design with a scoring tool. After this, I carved the rough shapes and added two holes to hang it from. I took this piece home to continue working on it as well. I planned to add functional hooks for jewelry. Sadly, these hooks broke off, and even after making them thicker, the same thing happened. I decided to leave the hooks off and go in with underglaze. Unfortunately, my piece only went through the kiln once due to my poor planning. Overall, this project taught me time management, which I intend to bring with me into semester 2.
