Independent Project
The final project in class, our independent project, was to make any ceramic piece, using one of the techniques we learned throughout the course. For my project, I decided to throw on the wheel, but it got ruined, so I had to make another project. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to remake my piece on the wheel because I only had a couple days to finish it. So, I decided to use the slab technique and a mold and make a bowl. I rolled out the slab and formed it over the mold, and cut it. Once it was stiff and dry enough, I trimmed the rim and glazed it, finishing my project in time.
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Pottery Wheel
The last technique we learned in class was on the pottery wheel. For this assignment, we had to make two pieces of work on the pottery wheel; one cylinder and one bowl. The cylinder was ideally supposed to be six inches tall, mine was only five because I was afraid of it collapsing, as it was already a little shaky. The bowl was only required to be an appropriate size, and was much easier to make than the cylinder. We were given a longer period of time on the wheels because it took a while to gain the skills of using the wheels. Overall, I loved working on the wheels and it was my favorite technique. While it was frustrating at times, it was still fun.
The wheel was frustrating and not easy at first, but was also fun. |
Slab Lantern
Next, we learned the slab technique and were assigned to make a piece of work, using the slabs of clay. I chose to make a lantern, and decided to carve a palm tree with sun rays into one side. I prefer to use the slab technique because I found it easier than other methods to make smooth walls. Once my slabs were made, I formed them together to make the walls and let it stiffen overnight. Then, I carved my design into the front, which was not the easiest. But, after I finished the carvings, I added a greenish-colored glaze that consisted of darker specks in it.
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Coil Pot
The next technique we learned in class was the coil method. For this project, the class was assigned to make a project using coils of clay. After brainstorming different ideas, I decided to go with my second design of making a tall flower pot. As I continued to make my piece, I came to the conclusion that the coil method was not my thing. I had a difficult time smoothing out my coils, so my pot turned out very lumpy.
As I struggled to build my pot to be eight inches tall, I was also sick for a portion of this project and my pot dried, making it even harder to smooth out my coils. But, after my pot was finished, I carved out holes around the top of my pot and added a red glaze that had yellow bits in it. |
Pinch Pots
The first technique we learned in ceramics class was pinch pots. For this project, we were assigned to create a set of at least three pieces of pottery, using the pinch pot method. I started off with brainstorming three different designs, so I had some options to choose from before I started crafting my project. In the end, I chose to make a small "tea party" set with a tea cup, bowl and plate. I used the pinch pot technique to construct the shape of my pieces, then decided to carve little vine-like designs, so it looked like a complete set. After they dried, I chose to paint my tea party set a lavender color and outlined my designs in a baby blue color.
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Stamps
The first project assigned in my ceramics class was to create two stamps: one with a pattern on it, and one with our signature or initials to mark our pieces. We had a limited and short amount of time to construct these stamps, so I do not like the outcome of mine because they look sloppy in my opinion.