Finished Works
Unit 1
Stamp
Just a simple piece that took maybe 10 minutes to make. As my first piece, it was fun to make as I got the chance to get my hands dirty and used to some clay. I didn't get any progress photos as there was really only one step in making it and I lost it before I could glaze it.
Face
This face took two classes to sculpt. One class included drawing a picture of what I would want to make, and the next was making the actual piece. This piece was made at the same time as the stamp and I lost this piece also.
Pendant
This piece was fun to make I made a small slab piece and cut it into the shape of a flower. This piece was super simple but I think it came out pretty good. This piece is about half the size of your palm.
Unit 2
2 Pinch Pots put together (Vase)
This piece was definitely my first biggest struggle because it required some different skills, like making two almost identical pinch pots and then another new skill of slipping and scoring the two pots together. This piece was rather annoying for me to make, but it was fun. It took a lot of time to make the pinch pots, put them together, shape the piece to look smoother, wait for them to become stiffer, carve the simple pattern on the side, and finally glaze it.
Relief Tile
I wasn't sure what a relief tile was, so I created a slab and carved a little maze into it. This piece is probably my least favorite because it doesn't look good, and it took way too much time to create such a simple piece.
Historically Inspired Piece "Captain Americas Shield"
I wasn't sure what to make for a historically inspired piece until Jonny said it could pretty much be anything from the past, so I decided to make Captain America's shield. This piece was relatively simple to make. I made a big slab and then got a plate to trace around it to make a circular shape. Once I had the circular slab of clay, I lightly sketched the design of Cap's shield. Next, I laid the slab over the bottom of the plate to get that curved shape, and I put glaze on it. I think this piece is iconic because when people think of Marvel or the Avengers, the first character they think of is Captain America. What do people picture when they think of Captain America? They think of his shield. This piece was fun to make just because I love the Marvel Universe so much.
Small Sculpture "Snowman"
This was my favorite piece up to this point. I began by just looking for things to make and then made three separate balls that progressively got smaller. I slipped and scored the balls on top of one another and then added details. The last sleep was to glaze the pieces. One troubling thing I found was that I needed to hollow out the balls, which I should've done from the start and from the bottom ball to the top ball, but I didn't do this, so I ended up hollowing out the back of each ball. This piece was fun though and it had its challenges but it turned out pretty good I think.
Pinch Pot Cut In Half
This was the first skill we practiced, and I think this was where I figured out that I'm not half bad at ceramics. The process was to get a ball of clay, shove your thumb in the middle, and start pinching outwards until you had a little pot shape, then cut it in half. This turned out pretty even which is what we were looking for.
Unit 3
Slab Slump Mold
This piece was one of my favorite pieces of the year, but I lost it in the process of making it. This piece came with many struggles as I couldn't figure out how to get the flat slab inside of the bowl without disconcerting the piece. I also came to the realization after I put the slab into the mold that the clay would stick to the mold without a lining. To create this piece, I found a mold I liked and put a liner in a plastic bag. I then made the slab, put it over the bowl, and caressed it into the mold. Once leather hard I took it out of the mold and put underglaze on it to be fired. From here I don't know where the piece went.
Sgrafifto
This piece was also lost towards the end of the process as I tried to create the yen-yang symbol on a plate. However, I think it turned out well, as the lines were defined, and the piece was symmetrical. To create this piece, I found a simple plate for a mold and then covered it in a thin plastic so the slab of clay wouldn't stick to it; from there, I placed the slab over the mold and trimmed the edges so they could be more presentable. Finally, I waited for the piece to become leather hard and painted the yen-yang onto it with underglaze.
Coil Building
The coil-building project was the next significant skill that we learned. It was the most complex skill to date, as it is much more precise and has little room for error. The piece started by rolling out about two feet of clay into about a half-inch thick piece and then making it into a coil for the base of the pot; from there, you added layers of coils on top of that and can add different shaped coils. This part was somewhat complicated as you needed to slip and score every coil to itself and the other ones without any gap or mishap. Once all the coils are put on to form the bowl shape, you need to smooth out the inside to create a water-tight surface. This part didn't go well for me, as when the clay dried, cracks appeared where some of the coils were connected. Even though this piece might not be completely water tight I think it came out nicely. Also for whatever reason I forgot to take progress photos for this piece even though it took me multiple classes to make.
Relief Carving
For whatever reason, I completely missed this project when we were supposed to have completed it. I did start it afterward, and I haven't completed it. It is a heart-shaped dish that doesn't have much carving in it. It's a very simple design, but I think it looks good. I started by using a small slab and putting a ring around it while carving a small ring inside of it; while not completed, it has potential.
Slab building with darts
While not entirely sure how to do this piece, I tried to make something that revolved around this idea. I made a small vase but am not finished as it hasn't been glazed for a second time. I ran into a couple of issues with this project as I accidentally put it on the firing cart before I was finished, which put me back a couple of weeks, so I am yet to finish it. This piece was rather interesting as I had to make a slab and then carve it beforehand to create the shape I was trying to get. I ended up remaking the slab four times to try and achieve the right shape. I think it will turn out well, though, as it has a cool shape, and the jungle glaze I put on, I believe, will look neat. I will update this once I get this piece fired for the second time.
Unit 4
Piece with handle
This piece is yet to come out of the kiln. The piece with the handle project might have been the most straightforward piece I've made to date. It required skills I've done multiple times, and it was small enough to take very little time. I started by wedging a small ball of clay and forming it into a pinch pot, once here I put it onto one of the rotating wheel things and cleaned it up and made it into the desired shape. The only slightly tricky part was making the handle and slipping it onto the pot. I think if I were to re-create this piece in the future I would made the handle a little bigger because I don't think I could put my finger into it without breaking it.
Series of 4
This was one of my favorite projects because of its simplicity and creativity. It was pretty time-consuming as there were four things to make, but it was simple and fun to do. I started with a plate and covered it with one of those mesh things so the clay wouldn't stick to it. After that, I rolled out a slab of clay and laid it over. Next, I carved and smoothed out the plate for a cleaner look. I then waited till the next class, took it off while leather hard, and repeated the process four times. Once all four were done being shaped, I painted a different design on each of them. The only thing that I would change if I were to do this project again would be to put more than one layer of underglaze on or just fire them and then put the regular glaze on.
Lidded Box
The lidded box is something that I think I might actually use in the future. It could hold jewelry or other small items. The process of making this box was a bit different from other items I had made and had little room for error. I started off by making a big slab and cutting 4 rectangles and two squares out of it. I put together the sides and bottom by cutting each side at an angle and slipping and scoring them together. For the top, I did it separately and had to put a little piece jutting out to fit snuggle on the box. The top little ball was simple enough, just slipping and scoring it on. I used a jungle glaze, which I thought would be neat, but I think I could have used a better one. If I were to do this project again, I would make sure that the top fits better into the base because it doesn't fit right, and also to ensure that every side is as flat and symmetrical as possible.
Monster
The monster, I thought, was entertaining and one of my most detailed projects to date. It was neat to do something for the third grader and put a lot of effort into something that isn't mine. That is the thing about this piece. I'm not saying that I am selfish; I just wish I could've kept that piece because I really liked it. It started as a pinch pot that I made taller, and then I smoothed and evened everything out to match the shape better. I then cut the bottom to match the squiggly parts on the drawing. Next came the fun part, putting all the little details into it. The last most challenging part was underglaze; painting the detail was very time-consuming and took me more than one class to complete. Overall, though, the piece was really fun and engaging to do. If I were to do this project again, I would try harder not to break the spike off the top.
Poem Inspired
This piece was most definitely not poem-inspired, but the idea did come from one of Ms. Ruby´s freshman students. I question what the kid had me make, as there is no way they represent that book, but whatever. I made a weird doll-looking thing that was supposed to be a character named Cercie, and the pig was supposed to be the guys that got turned into pigs. The process wasn´t too tricky as it was just a smooth lump of clay that I hollowed out using a loop tool, and then I added heads and limbs to them. The only part I wish I had done better would have been to make the air holes earlier because when I tried to make the holes when they were practically bone dry, they cracked, and I had to patch them up.
2D Master Work
AKA the final, if you go onto the page of this website named S1 Final, you will see an in-depth summary of what I did and the inspiration along with images.