FINAL EXAM
While using clay, tons of tools are handy. To make my pottery smooth and clean I used a loop tool, a wood rib and a metal rib. Those were the tools that made sure the clay was even and flat with no bumps, but of course I'm not perfect so I'd never get all the bumps and dents out. Also when using clay, I used the pottery wheel. It helped with getting both sides of the pottery even and smooth. There are two types of wheels: the kick wheel and the electric wheel. I don't like either because I haven't perfected them yet, but the electric wheel is a little easier than the kick wheel because you don't have to have extreme leg and foot muscles to use it. You just press down on the pedal and it goes whatever speed you ask it to. It's a LOT easier. Another thing we used, with cardboard this time, was an X-acto knife and a self-healing mat. The X-acto is to get exact and defined lines in your work and the self-healing mat is to keep you from cutting the table. It's just a way to be safe around a really sharp cutting tool.
At first I didn't know the best way to use each tool. I just tested them out and asked Mrs. Sudkamp and learned that way. At first I didn't know that the loop tool was to carve the outside of clay on the pottery wheel, but I was taught and now it's pretty much my favorite thing. I like watching the little curls of clay fall off my piece and just perfecting it basically. I also was unsure of the best way to carve out cardboard. I didn't know that their were layers in it and that I could peel off each one. I was taught how to carefully do so with an X-acto. And that it was better to use and X-acto for precision and a bigger blade for bigger areas. I know now that you can't expect to make a masterpiece with your bare hands. You are always gonna need something to help you out whether it be a clay cutting tool or a pen to outline your work. You will always need a little help from something else.
A certain project I made was one that was enhanced by the size and material I made it out of. It was my black paper mâché lion. If I had made it any smaller or bigger than it is right now then it would just look weird. Also, instead of using newspaper like people usually do I used a very fragile and soft paper towel to give the lion a more smooth look. and I wanted to paint over the lion without missing any spots. Oops I almost forgot! Mrs. Sudkamp taught me a little secret....instead of constantly building a newspaper base just out of newspaper this is what I did....I made the ball big enough to almost fit the circle size I needed (the size of the wire wreath) and taped it to a piece of cardboard the exact size as the wreath circle and then I just put paper mâché over it. All of the choices I made for this project was a good idea: the scar because the eye looked funny, the fishing wire as whiskers, cutting the loops on the 'mane' to make it look more scary and spray painting it matte so it's not as shiny. All of those decisions made the lion better than it already was.
People have their successful art and their failure art. It's just a part of the way to becoming a great artist and a better learner. Wow, that sounded cheesy. Anyway, I'm going to share with you one of my worst projects. I honestly believe that my pit fire piece was my worst. I like the way the one I decorated for someone else turned out, but my actual pit fire that I made from clay was awful. The terrasig that I used on top of it turned out awful. I don't like the way I did the polkadots and it's not very smooth or colorful at all. But I guess that's part of the learning aspect of it. I've never done a pit fire before and I guess that's something to expect when you're learning. Also, the piece I made wasn't really original or my own version in anyway. It was sort of basic and boring. I don't know, I just don't like it at all. All the chemicals I put in the tinfoil didn't really do what I wanted them to do, but it happens. You can't exactly plan out what it's going to look like. If I were to change my pit fire then I would probably make it a very unique an original piece. I probably would either not paint terrasig on it at all to bring out more colors or paint the whole things in terrasig.
The medium that I hated the most was cardboard. If you ever messed up for some reason you weren't able to fix it. You would either have to start over completely or just deal with it. Cardboard isn't too easy to work with too. It's challenging to shape and doesn't really bend nicely or at all. So to deal with it I just made really simple things, used layers, and went super duper slow. I also used an X-acto knife to get defined lines. To make it better, I added other mediums to it like paint, pencil and sharpie. Other than that, it wasn't too bad. I mean I've made tons of things with cardboard and I'm actually making something for my fourth period out of cardboard right now. It isn't the worst thing to work with, but out of all the things we used in this class it was probably the worst.
Wire Tree
So, for this project, what I had to do was get wire that was strong enough, but also bendable enough to twist and shape into a tree. I cut nine strands 29.5 inch long. I wish I cut more to make the tree thicker though. After cutting each strand, I 'folded' them in half, but instead of bending the end I left a little loop to make the roots. I took those loops and made smaller loops inside of them by folding the original in half and folding those loops in half again (then twisting them to make the loop smaller and secure). After doing all of that, I twisted all nine wires together to make the tree and divided the strands apart into sections of four to make the branches. It wasn't too hard, but took some time because I wasn't strong enough to get all those smaller loops. I had to use a pair of small pliers to hold onto the wire.
I really like the roots I did. They're pretty small and go in different directions like normal roots would. However, I don't like the size of the tree and the branches. I would probably spend more time next time working on the branches and making them look like they have leaves on them. I would also make sure that the tree is thick enough and taller. I didn't measure the size of the tree to the holder I placed it on, so I'd also make sure that the tree is in proportion to where it's going to be placed.
I really like the roots I did. They're pretty small and go in different directions like normal roots would. However, I don't like the size of the tree and the branches. I would probably spend more time next time working on the branches and making them look like they have leaves on them. I would also make sure that the tree is thick enough and taller. I didn't measure the size of the tree to the holder I placed it on, so I'd also make sure that the tree is in proportion to where it's going to be placed.
Parachute Installation
I took a balloon and blew it up to the size I wanted the parachute to be. Then I took plaster strips, wet them and applied them to the balloon in the shape I wanted them to be. It wasn't very hard, but it was tedious and the shape wasn't exactly how I wanted it to be. Then I spray painted it black and painted random silver lines on it. I poked holes for the strings to hang the item and the parachute itself. Mine is the black and silver one with the seahorse cookie cutter dangling from it.
The way we did it was really the only way I can think to do it. We could have also made parachutes from the bottom of bowls, but they probably wouldn't be the shape we were looking for.
Anyway, when we hung all of them up, they were all kind of just in a straight line. When I pictured it, I thought they were gonna be more spaced out and all over the place, so that's what I would have changed with that.
Overall, I thought this was an ok thing. I didn't like the way mine turned out, but if it were different, I probably would have liked the installation more.
The way we did it was really the only way I can think to do it. We could have also made parachutes from the bottom of bowls, but they probably wouldn't be the shape we were looking for.
Anyway, when we hung all of them up, they were all kind of just in a straight line. When I pictured it, I thought they were gonna be more spaced out and all over the place, so that's what I would have changed with that.
Overall, I thought this was an ok thing. I didn't like the way mine turned out, but if it were different, I probably would have liked the installation more.
Scraffito Plate
Scraffito, in simple terms, is for pottery, painting or glass and what it means is a preliminary surface covered with another and then scratching away at the surface to make something else. It's really just layers of things.
The one on the left is the first one I made. I liked the final product except for the word flower. It's lopsided and goes on to the edge of the plate. I wanted to put it on that side anyway because I thought it would look good on that side instead of the other. The second one was done for my boyfriend, Blake. He likes German Shepherds and I thought a quote from the bible on strength would look good because German Shepherds are strong and used for military purposes sometimes.
Anyway, to make the first plate, I rolled out a slab and fit it to the plate by pushing down on the indents of the plate. I cut out the edges to make it look like a flower because I thought it was kind of boring as just a normal plate. When I was finished with the edges I applied the overglaze three times, waiting for each layer to dry before applying the next. When the final layer was completely dry, I scratched in the flower, the words, and my initials then all I had left to do was apply clear glaze. All I did was dip the whole plate in a bucket of clear glaze and it was ready to go into the kiln.
If I were to do this again I would sketch out my design before I apply it to the plate. That's about it. I like everything else about my plates and the way I did it. This project was pretty easy but I learned that patience is really important with this. Going slow and perfecting it is totally ok!
The one on the left is the first one I made. I liked the final product except for the word flower. It's lopsided and goes on to the edge of the plate. I wanted to put it on that side anyway because I thought it would look good on that side instead of the other. The second one was done for my boyfriend, Blake. He likes German Shepherds and I thought a quote from the bible on strength would look good because German Shepherds are strong and used for military purposes sometimes.
Anyway, to make the first plate, I rolled out a slab and fit it to the plate by pushing down on the indents of the plate. I cut out the edges to make it look like a flower because I thought it was kind of boring as just a normal plate. When I was finished with the edges I applied the overglaze three times, waiting for each layer to dry before applying the next. When the final layer was completely dry, I scratched in the flower, the words, and my initials then all I had left to do was apply clear glaze. All I did was dip the whole plate in a bucket of clear glaze and it was ready to go into the kiln.
If I were to do this again I would sketch out my design before I apply it to the plate. That's about it. I like everything else about my plates and the way I did it. This project was pretty easy but I learned that patience is really important with this. Going slow and perfecting it is totally ok!
Empty Bowl Project
All of my bowls are made out of clay. The flower one was done on the kick wheel, the purple and blue small one is a pinch pot and the blue and green one was just a slab that I got too lazy to cut. I think 2/3 of my bowls look really nice. I don't exactly like the small purple/blue one just because it was made out of pure laziness, the colors are weird and it's too small. My favorite one is the flower one because it reminds me of Winnie the Pooh. Of course, because I'm a perfectionist and nothing is perfect, there are flaws in it that bug me really bad, but other than that I really like it.
To be honest, I didn't like any of the wheels. That's probably just because I'm not good at it at all and I kept failing everytime. I only made one good bowl and it made me really happy!
To be honest, I didn't like any of the wheels. That's probably just because I'm not good at it at all and I kept failing everytime. I only made one good bowl and it made me really happy!
Unconventional Material Challenge
The material I used was mesh ribbon. It was pretty hard to think of how to use it, but the first thing I thought of was a wreath. As I was making it, it looked a little boring so I thought maybe I could make a lion or something. I made a base out of cardboard and newspaper and then covered it with paper towel mache. Then I also made the nose and ears and eyes with paper towel mache. The whiskers were fishing line and they were applied with hot glue. They eyes are orange marbles and I messed up on the right one. Instead of being angry about it, I just made a scar above the eye to make it look like I messed up on purpose. When I thought I was finished I looked at him and realized he looked a little poise, so what I did was matte spray painted the mane and cut the loops so it looked more spiky. Sadly, I already gave it away so I don't have a picture of the final piece but you can sort of see the outcome from the picture I already have.
I really really like the way the head turned out. I think I did a pretty good job on the ears and the nose. The eyes are a little iffy, but they look ok. Mrs. Sudkamp had the amazing idea of putting marbles for eyes instead of boring normal eyes. Anyway the shape of the head was my favorite. I would probably make the eye sunken into the face instead of sticking out because eyes are naturally sunken. They don't bulge out of people heads. That's about all I would change. If I had the time and energy I would have painted the lion its normal color.
I really really like the way the head turned out. I think I did a pretty good job on the ears and the nose. The eyes are a little iffy, but they look ok. Mrs. Sudkamp had the amazing idea of putting marbles for eyes instead of boring normal eyes. Anyway the shape of the head was my favorite. I would probably make the eye sunken into the face instead of sticking out because eyes are naturally sunken. They don't bulge out of people heads. That's about all I would change. If I had the time and energy I would have painted the lion its normal color.
Vessels
Well, I made a series of mugs and they could basically hold anything, liquid or not, so that's how its a vessel. My original idea was for me to make candle holders and put holes in the, now, mugs and punch out my name. But I realized I might want to drink out of them, so that's why I made them into mugs.
I really like the way my leaves turned out. The placement, the colors and the shape is perfect. It makes me happy when I look at them. But, like all pieces, there are flaws. I should have smoothed out the mugs a little more. The smallest one-leaf mug is curved on one side and the tops of all of them are uneven. On the inside of the medium two-leaf mug, its rugged. Another flaw I would have changed is the color. I only did two coats of the glaze and I probably should have done three or four to make sure that the color would be solid. Like almost all of my work, I didn't really plan this. I told you part of my original plan was to make this a candle holder with my initials on it, but that's not what it turned out to be. I never really am inspired by anything. I kinda look at different pieces on the internet and make my own version of all the ones I like.
I really like the way my leaves turned out. The placement, the colors and the shape is perfect. It makes me happy when I look at them. But, like all pieces, there are flaws. I should have smoothed out the mugs a little more. The smallest one-leaf mug is curved on one side and the tops of all of them are uneven. On the inside of the medium two-leaf mug, its rugged. Another flaw I would have changed is the color. I only did two coats of the glaze and I probably should have done three or four to make sure that the color would be solid. Like almost all of my work, I didn't really plan this. I told you part of my original plan was to make this a candle holder with my initials on it, but that's not what it turned out to be. I never really am inspired by anything. I kinda look at different pieces on the internet and make my own version of all the ones I like.
^Inspiration photos^
Pit Fire Part II
The Steps:
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What makes this so different is that we never know what it's going to turn out like. We can sort of plan what colors the piece will have but we never know what design is going to come out of the pit fire. To be honest, I don't really like how MY piece came out. My friend didn't like her piece(The 3rd and 4th picture) that much so she gave it to me to design. It basically had the same steps, however I prefer the way her's came out over mine. I don't really like the polkadots and there wasn't really any cool designs splattered on it. Oh well! I would probably do it again! However, I would probably make a more outer-caved piece. I'd make a rounder one because it seemed to have more design too it. I liked not knowing what it'll turn out to be, but it was also sad when it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to be.
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Form Challenge
Pit Fire Part I
- What is pit firing?
- Pit firing is kind of like normal firing in a kiln except instead of a kiln, it's a pit or a hole in the ground. You put an already fired piece into an already lit fire and burn the pieces.
- What is a foil saggar?
- Containers designed to make the pieces placed in it to an atmosphere of the artists choice
- Containers designed to make the pieces placed in it to an atmosphere of the artists choice
Chameleon Relief Part II
The thing I like most about my piece is how well cut out the shapes inside the body are and how much the clay chameleon looks like an actual chameleon. However, I don't really like how to color turned out and how the glass didn't melt very well. I fired it twice and the blue and the white glass still didn't melt, so next time I am definitely researching more about the glass I use.
My plans turned out exactly how I planned them. They didn't turn out as well as I thought, but they still turned out how I planned.
I kind of knew how to work with clay and carve out clay before the mini lessons, but I'm glad they were there to refresh my memory. However, I started liking chameleons a lot when my table did the cardboard relief. That was really the only thing that influenced me to do what I did.
The only problem I had besides getting the right color was making sure the tail stayed on. Also, I had trouble with carving out the holes for the legs. Those triangles were so small I couldn't really make it smooth.
My plans turned out exactly how I planned them. They didn't turn out as well as I thought, but they still turned out how I planned.
I kind of knew how to work with clay and carve out clay before the mini lessons, but I'm glad they were there to refresh my memory. However, I started liking chameleons a lot when my table did the cardboard relief. That was really the only thing that influenced me to do what I did.
The only problem I had besides getting the right color was making sure the tail stayed on. Also, I had trouble with carving out the holes for the legs. Those triangles were so small I couldn't really make it smooth.
Chameleon Relief Part I
I will be doing something like a chameleon mosaic. I'm going to work with clay and each part of the chameleon will be triangles. I will probably cut out each little triangle to make a pocket so I can put different colored glass in each one and melt it. I haven't decided what I'll do with the outer clay after I fire it. I might glaze it green or paint with water colors.
I'll just go with the flow! I have a base of what I want to do but if I mess up or change my mind in between, so be it.
I'll just go with the flow! I have a base of what I want to do but if I mess up or change my mind in between, so be it.
Rosa de JongRosa de Jong is a freelance designer and animator from Amsterdam. Her goal by the end of a project is to make sure everyone is happy and wants to look at her work.
http://www.byrosa.nl/work/micro-matter/10517
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