In Ceramics this semester, I have really started to personalize my projects and I have started to realize who I am as an artist. I am fully aware of my strengths and weaknesses and I create/plan accordingly in order to produce my best work, yet still improve. This semester, rather than simply throwing a glaze on my projects and calling them good, I have focused more of the glazing process and the home decor aspect of them. I want them to fit into my home and add to the beauty of it rather than take away with bold ugly bright colors. No loud yellows or pinks, but more blues, whites, and greens. My pieces are large yet practical, and are all made for a specific use. They evoke in the viewer a sense of awe and amazement at their nearly perfect shapes and foot rings, yet at the same time I want them to be used not just looked at.
This semester alone, I have made several ceramics pieces that follow my theme of usable home decor. I have started experimenting with larger plates, such as pie plates glazed a variety of blue and white colors, I have made three pitchers and I improve their quality with each one. I've made many bowls of all sizes for all uses, a beautiful shadow green set of three small vases, a small white and blue cake plate, a clear and blue teapot, a mug, a lidded piece, a large vase etc.. Most of my pieces are simple pieces made on the wheel with no added dimensions or carvings, Most of them have a flared lip and they are typically glazed in multiple or overlapping colors.
The most important thing to know is the creation process. All my projects were made in a day on the wheel. For most of them, I start by pulling up a cylinder and then shaping out my project from there, either by choking it at the top and blowing out the base or what have you. After trimming the base with either a stick tool or a number 7 tool, and stringing it VERY carefully, and prying it off the wheel without destroying it, I put it in the cupboard. One of my projects, my purple bowl, I accidentally stabbed right through it while prying it off my wheel, but I managed to save it and you can hardly tell. The next day I re-string them and get them off the bat, then foot them. Because I am a perfectionist. my foot rings usually take 10-15 mins, but are pretty much perfect. I use the wire loop tool to make the base as smooth as possible and then carve my name and the date with my pin tool into the bottom of every project. After footing them, I set them into the cupboard on a flat surface so as to not destroy my foot ring, and let them dry, unless it requires a handle or a lid or a spout. In that case, I pull the handle before I foot, and then attach it after I'm done footing, once the handle hardens a bit. Then I'd put the whole piece in a bag for a couple days so that the handle and the main piece will start to dry at the same rate so it won't fall off. Once the project is dry, it is bisqued and then glazed.
Like I have said, I have spend a lot more time on the glazing this semester than I have done previously. Glazing is usually regarded as one of the quickest steps, yet it should be taken more seriously, because it is one of the most important. I avoid the louder obnoxious colors and stick to the more simple elegant colors. Usually I overlap two colors such as dark blue and shadow green, blue and turquoise, or blue and white. I completely overlapped the dark blue and shadow green for my most recent pitcher and the colors blended beautifully creating designs in the glaze, drips, and many more amazing unintended colors. When overlapping my colors, I have to glaze once, wait for it to dry, and then glaze again so it can take a couple days. I don't always dip my glaze on, but sometimes I pour the glaze on from a little cup, and sometimes it is necessary to paint it on. When overlapping two colors, I make sure to have a large center overlap so my glaze turns out with three equal sections of color.
Being my third semester of ceramics, I am now able to concentrate more of the smaller more precise aspects of my throwing and glazing. I have concentrated more of making my projects have an equal thickness all throughout them. This is harder to do, because I tend to make them all with a thicker base, so it forces me to pull up all the clay from the bottom and to use it all. Also, I have become aware of the flared lip to width ratio of the projects. Depending on how wide the piece is affects how big of a lip it should have to create a balanced piece. In addition, I have started concentrated on my foot rings, and paying attention to them so that they are flat, and do not wobble when set down. Wobble is not okay! Lastly, I have paid more attention to my handle making and attaching, I like them to look as if they were done professionally so it takes me quite some time to attach anything, making sure it is done perfectly. All these details, along with my careful glazing habits and perfectionism in every aspect of ceramics aid in the creation of many exciting new pieces all made with love and for a purpose, so as to add beauty to the home.
This semester alone, I have made several ceramics pieces that follow my theme of usable home decor. I have started experimenting with larger plates, such as pie plates glazed a variety of blue and white colors, I have made three pitchers and I improve their quality with each one. I've made many bowls of all sizes for all uses, a beautiful shadow green set of three small vases, a small white and blue cake plate, a clear and blue teapot, a mug, a lidded piece, a large vase etc.. Most of my pieces are simple pieces made on the wheel with no added dimensions or carvings, Most of them have a flared lip and they are typically glazed in multiple or overlapping colors.
The most important thing to know is the creation process. All my projects were made in a day on the wheel. For most of them, I start by pulling up a cylinder and then shaping out my project from there, either by choking it at the top and blowing out the base or what have you. After trimming the base with either a stick tool or a number 7 tool, and stringing it VERY carefully, and prying it off the wheel without destroying it, I put it in the cupboard. One of my projects, my purple bowl, I accidentally stabbed right through it while prying it off my wheel, but I managed to save it and you can hardly tell. The next day I re-string them and get them off the bat, then foot them. Because I am a perfectionist. my foot rings usually take 10-15 mins, but are pretty much perfect. I use the wire loop tool to make the base as smooth as possible and then carve my name and the date with my pin tool into the bottom of every project. After footing them, I set them into the cupboard on a flat surface so as to not destroy my foot ring, and let them dry, unless it requires a handle or a lid or a spout. In that case, I pull the handle before I foot, and then attach it after I'm done footing, once the handle hardens a bit. Then I'd put the whole piece in a bag for a couple days so that the handle and the main piece will start to dry at the same rate so it won't fall off. Once the project is dry, it is bisqued and then glazed.
Like I have said, I have spend a lot more time on the glazing this semester than I have done previously. Glazing is usually regarded as one of the quickest steps, yet it should be taken more seriously, because it is one of the most important. I avoid the louder obnoxious colors and stick to the more simple elegant colors. Usually I overlap two colors such as dark blue and shadow green, blue and turquoise, or blue and white. I completely overlapped the dark blue and shadow green for my most recent pitcher and the colors blended beautifully creating designs in the glaze, drips, and many more amazing unintended colors. When overlapping my colors, I have to glaze once, wait for it to dry, and then glaze again so it can take a couple days. I don't always dip my glaze on, but sometimes I pour the glaze on from a little cup, and sometimes it is necessary to paint it on. When overlapping two colors, I make sure to have a large center overlap so my glaze turns out with three equal sections of color.
Being my third semester of ceramics, I am now able to concentrate more of the smaller more precise aspects of my throwing and glazing. I have concentrated more of making my projects have an equal thickness all throughout them. This is harder to do, because I tend to make them all with a thicker base, so it forces me to pull up all the clay from the bottom and to use it all. Also, I have become aware of the flared lip to width ratio of the projects. Depending on how wide the piece is affects how big of a lip it should have to create a balanced piece. In addition, I have started concentrated on my foot rings, and paying attention to them so that they are flat, and do not wobble when set down. Wobble is not okay! Lastly, I have paid more attention to my handle making and attaching, I like them to look as if they were done professionally so it takes me quite some time to attach anything, making sure it is done perfectly. All these details, along with my careful glazing habits and perfectionism in every aspect of ceramics aid in the creation of many exciting new pieces all made with love and for a purpose, so as to add beauty to the home.
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