A letter of reflection from first semester (01/09/24) :
I had a lot of fun this semester. When I first started working with clay again, I truly couldn’t decide what kind of pieces I was interested in making, or rather, if I wanted to throw vessels on the wheel or hand build some sort of sculpture. Either way, I knew I wanted to attempt something larger and more unique than I have before, putting all of last year’s practice to good use. I thought back to the very first project I made with clay, my mushroom rattle from freshman year, and it reminded me of a love for sculpting. I wanted to start the semester off with a project where I could sit down each day and make steady progress, in contrast to the fast-pace of wheel throwing most times. Since freshman year, I hadn’t really attempted any worthy sculpting projects, more so focusing on wheel throwing and pieces with a specific purpose. Given that, I decided to take the risk and dust off an old skill. I am thankful for this decision, because creating the heart sculpture was one of the most fun and rewarding experiences I’ve had in ceramics for a while. I enjoyed maximizing the progress I could make every day, anxious to finish the vessel, while also allowing myself to take my time when it was called for. Looking back, the ability to detail the surface texture and the form of the heart in a nearly infinite amount of ways was critically important to me. I enjoyed being able to put my unique spin on it, rather than focus on perfect symmetry and smooth surface texture. It was a great learning experience for learning anatomical structure, ceramic stability, and encouraging creativity. It was a perfect mix of science and art. Finishing the piece, I ran into a few glazing disasters, which was also an incredibly valuable lesson on stains and oxides. Finishing the heart made me feel incredible. I had accomplished something I was hesitant about and ended up desiring to sculpt more. Moving forward, I decided to put my throwing skills to good use and create a large scale set. I had a few ideas, more or less single pieces that I found really interesting, while I wondered how I could place them. I decided on an Italian inspired dinner set, which was less inspired by the artistry and designs of many Italian potters, but rather centered around the food. This was also a fun challenge, because it forced me to think of different vessels and forms which I wouldn’t normally create. I felt pretty good about my pacing, and though there was some trial and error with a few of the larger pieces, I’m overjoyed with the overall execution. I’ve thrown sets in the past, but none have been this large and gratifying. Overall, if I were to choose one thing I want to improve going forward, I would say to be more daring. I enjoy trying new techniques and pushing my own boundaries. I think this semester was a good example of that. I am so grateful for everything that I’ve learned, experienced, and been able to achieve so far. Notably, I'm also incredibly grateful for being able to help and work behind the Pioneer High School Pottery Sale. It was so exciting to meet students and teachers who were interested in this form of art, and generally a phenomenal experience. Thank you to my wonderful teacher, Mrs. Sonsara, for always being there to help. I greatly look forward to another semester of ceramics this year.
This vessel is intimately important to me. Over the past summer, one of my close relatives underwent open-heart surgery and experienced various complications. It was a long and difficult recovery, but they triumphed, and I wanted to create something in their honor.
I started by creating a newspaper-ball armature and wrapping a rolled slab of clay around it, forming the base of the heart. I then started attaching 'arteries' by slipping and scoring hand rolled pipes of clay. For this task, I tried to remain as anatomically accurate as possible using pictures as reference. Notably, this process was also a great learning experience on how to keep clay hydrated for longer periods of time. I continued adding until I felt the valves were sufficient, then I started adding onto the base creating areas which were thicker and raised and bulging from the original form. During this time I would also massage the piece into a more accurate shape, creating some valleys and hills. Once I felt everything looked good, I decided to start texturing the surface using various ballpoint tools, brushes, and texture rollers. I made sure to texture the ends of the valves as well. Lastly, I started creating 'veins' along the piece by taking fine strands of clay and smoothing them onto the surface, effectively making sharp, veiny ridges which I smoothed down with a wet brush. Before firing, I also made sure to poke a hole in the top and bottom to prevent an explosion in the kiln. After its first firing, I was incredibly happy with the result. I opted to stain the piece, rather than glaze it, which in turn led to a few color disasters after it came out of the kiln for a second time. Because of this, we decided to finish the piece by using a ceramic rub-on paint and clear matte top-coat. I am very happy with how The Heart came out and I'm proud of my work on this vessel.
This set is considerably the largest I've accomplished thus far. All together, this set consists of a garlic grating dish, 2 cups with 2 coasters, 2 pasta bowls, 2 plates, 3 serving bowls, a large pitcher, 2 olive oil/balsamic vases, and a mini lidded salt pot. Each piece was thrown in a staggered fashion. After I would throw one or two pieces, I would trim them the next day and start throwing more to trim the next day. I dedicated a lot of time to get this project done and it was greatly gratifying. I opted to combine some sharp foot rings (as can be seen on the pitcher, salt pot, and a few larger bowls) with some wavy and smooth forms for a little definition and diversity. After the pieces were bisque fired and wax was brushed onto the bottoms, I decided to combine two glazes with various overlapping and send them in for a second firing. When they came out I was pretty happy with everything. I was thankful for everything turning out uncracked and unharmed, however, I was slightly disappointed at the time with the amount of dripping/running the glazes did. I will say though, it has grown on me and I enjoy the character it gives the set, rather than the intended clean lines of glaze. I tested the functionality of everything by serving dinner in it, and everything was just as I was hoping for! Overall, I'm very happy with this set!
These pieces are projects that are unfinished, practice vessels, or just in general, works that deserve an honorable mention, but didn't quite make the spotlight. If you're curious about one of these extras, feel free to send me an email!
A letter of reflection from second semester (06/09/24) :
This semester, and by extension, this past school year as a whole, I’ve had a lot of fun branching out with my art. I can now say I’ve experimented with multiple clay bodies, clay pigments, shaping methods, and a bunch of unfamiliar glazing techniques, such as colored glass fragments! This semester, I’ve been less concerned with making something huge— like some elaborate dinner set— and more invested in finding complex ways of making simple vessels more imposing. I started by creating multiple “maker’s marks,” which I quickly realized makes such a difference in overall composure. Having your initials or some kind of symbol that represents you sealed into a vessel instantly creates a more finished appearance and feel. With the exception of my first project, The Hand, my projects this semester have been pretty simple in technicality. The individual pieces for my windchime were all very simple to create, and my lamp vase, although being the first time I had ever coiled something, was a pretty go-with-the-flow process. The special thing about these projects and the extra vessels I’ve finished this semester is that they’re all experiments; each one demonstrates a new technique I’ve learned this semester. I’m really pleased with how everything’s come out this year, and I’m excited to apply this new knowledge to my ideas for next year. Within the world of ceramics, I love the constant challenge that clay gives to the artist, and I love constantly learning how to prevail through these impasses. I love knowing there’s always something new to learn and practice. I want to, as always, say thank you to my wonderful instructor, Mrs. Sonsara, for guiding me through the process of working with clay.
This piece is a sculptural testament to the idea of corruption. Whether you take it literally, such as a witch getting her fingers dirty in the mud, or more spiritually, such as darkness taking hold of who we are, or even more cynically, such as “sin” or depression slowly poisoning a person, this vessel can share a unique story to anyone.
I created this piece by first making three thick slabs of clay, one shaped into the wrist, one as the palm, and the last as the fingers, which were yet to be cut apart. With these three segments scored and stuck together, I also attached a cone shaped piece of clay to the palm to begin the thumb. At this point, I started to separate the finger slab into individual fingers and gave the hand a general shape. I began carving into the fingers to make segments and into the palm to create definition and make it look more realistic. The last few details I added were the fingernails and the knuckles, and finally I added some bone structure/veins to the back of the hand, similar to how I did with The Heart. Once I was done, I finished off the piece with my makers mark and hollowed out the wrist. After it was bisque fired, I used a carbon oxide stain and a sponge to create a dirty, or rather diseased looking finish on the fingertips fading down into the hand. Truth be told, I had an unfortunate encounter with gravity during this process and ended up having to glue the intex finger and thumb back on after it was glaze fired, however, I kind of enjoy the look of the cracks as it adds to the corrupted theme. Once the vessel was completely finished, I was really happy with how it turned out! I really enjoy the look of the stain after being fired and the way it lies in the details in the skin.
This is what the wind chime sounds like in the wind!
This piece happens to be one of my favorites. To create the larger “bells,” I threw each shape off the hump, meaning that I threw each on the potters wheel from one large piece of clay, individually shaping and removing each one at a time. Once they were removed from the hump of clay, I created a wavy pattern on each of the rims and gave the walls some light impressions/definition. To create the smaller cups, I used the pinch-pot method with small pieces of clay. I also made little clay “chips” by hand and even sculpted some basic designs into a few of them. After each bell, cup and chip was complete, I would add a large whole in the bottom that would allow me to string them all together later. Each of the pieces were bisque fired, and I opted only to glaze the bells and the sculpted chips. All of the vessels were fired once more, and now they were ready to be put together.
I struggled to come up with the right orientation at first, but I eventually had them set up exactly how I wanted and used thick rope to tie each together. I added some cinnamon sticks and wooden beads as well to give it a very naturesque feel. Once it was completed, I hung the wind chime outside and fell in love with the sound of the bells and chips. Overall, I’m very pleased with how this project turned out!
This vessel was my last project of the year, and in typical pottery fashion, it was quite the headache at times. This piece specifically was special for a multitude of reasons, one being that this was my first time working with this clay body, and I had to experiment a bit to find what textures and glazes looked best on this type of clay. Another reason this vessel was special is that this was my first time coiling! It’s also, for the record, the largest pot I’ve ever made so far.
As I began coiling this piece, I had a very symmetrical and standard-looking form in mind. Making more progress though, I noticed a lean in the pot and attempted to rectify the issue using a wooden paddle, yet to no avail. Eventually when it came time to start narrowing the pot back into a spout, I was also experiencing some major asymmetricalities and I was really struggling to come up with solutions. This is where the magic begins. I felt like it was time to kind of just go-with-the-flow, as there was little I could do to get back to the symmetrical pot I was initially envisioning, so I had the idea to use this piece as an opportunity to try making a “hug” vase. A friend and I each sat on opposite sides of the pot and tightly hugged around it, creating large impressions. We continued to exaggerate the imperfections and even added some texture to the surface of the vessel using a serrated metal rib until I felt satisfied with the results. This form typically isn’t my style so it took some getting used to, but I ended up really liking it after some time. Once fired, I opted for a messier and imperfect application of a few different glazes which turned out nice on test tiles. Overall, I’m quite pleased with how it turned out and I’m excited to use it! Although this vessel isn’t anything like what I thought it would be, I learned a valuable lesson that sometimes the most beautiful trait a piece of artwork can have is its story.
These pieces are projects that are unfinished, practice vessels, or just in general, works that deserve an honorable mention, but didn't quite make the spotlight. If you're curious about one of these extras, feel free to send me an email!
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