Ahhh... in a couple of weeks this quarter will be over. People think Ceramics is a breeze..but in the first quarter you start out with learning the origins and cycles of clay...Geology 101 with some Chemistry. In Ceramics II your pieces are supposed to be BETTER and you take on a boatload of Chemistry when you make your own glazes. When the kiln is unloaded tomorrow I'll see how I did in the Chemistry "recipes". I'm hoping my stuff hasn't run or exploded all over other student work in the kiln!
This is my he'e..and it will go on a tipped over huge vase. I hope to give them underwater color..but I may do it in dyes and paints after the first firing because I don't want things to look shiny and glassy. I have been throwing on the wheel and the next 2 weeks I'll be working on handbuilt pieces..this one is more like sculpture but it fills the requirements of coil and slab. I shaped the slab around crushed newspaper for the head, put coils on another slab and mounted the head on top. I tried to keep it small enough so the kiln angels and gods would be kind enough to get it fired by the end of the quarter.
I have to say that I am usually pleased with my work at this stage..but some things are lost in translation once they are glazed. That means I need more practical knowledge of glazes. I have worked also on SETS of things..sets of mugs and cups and sets of bowls..getting them the same size and shape is a science within itself!! Making nice plates also eludes me!
