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Penguin
Penguin
Media: Stoneware & Glaze
Size: 9 x 10 x 12"
Year: 2024
My idea was to make an animal bust that I could use as a decoration. I looked at different clay animal busts online to see which one I would be most interested in. The first step I took to make my ceramic bust was making coils to start the base of my bust. I then started with a coil and made a circle outline and from there just coiled straight up. After coiling for a bit I then started to come in with the coils to make the shape of the penguin body. I just kept moving the coils inward to close the gap but leaving a little part open for air. After this, I started building the head similar to how I built the base of the penguin. I started with outlining the size I wanted for the head with a coil and gradually went into making a circle. I almost made the head like a bowl and then flipped the open part to attach it to the body. The next step was to add the wings. I used a slab of clay and outlined the shape of the wings adjusting it often to get the correct size. When I liked how it looked I just traced the one wing I had to make another one. After this, I took the wings and scored it as well as the place on the body I would attach it to make sure it was secure. My next step was to make the feet. I printed out a picture of penguin feet but it turned out to be too big so I just traced it to be smaller and then made another one. Again, I scored the feet and the spot on the body I would be attaching it. I then made the tail by poking a hole in the backside and just slowly adding clay. I found this way worked better because it made the illusion that the tail was not just lying on the ground. I then added little spikes to make the effect of a penguin tail. The last step was the eyes. I took my thumbs to imprint the size and shape of the eyes and then took a ball of clay to make the eyeball. I then just added some little details to make it more realistic. This artwork shows that we can make our artwork look realistic. I want my audience to think about the process and the thinking that goes into making a piece of artwork like this. The most difficult piece of this artwork was the eyes. I changed the eyes so many times throughout the process of making my penguin but it was hard trying to make them look like real eyes. I overcame my struggles by just being open to fixing them and not being set on how they looked the first time. If I had to start over I would have focused more on how the back of the penguin looks because the head and body look a bit disproportion. This piece of artwork is unique to my own personal style because there are many other ways I could have gone about making this penguin but this was the way I did it. I love that I had an idea to make a ceramic bust of a penguin and I achieved that.
"Tapke" Pot
"Tapke" Pot
Media: Stoneware & Glaze
Size: 8.5 x 8.5 x 13.5"
Year: 2024
My idea was to make a pot with my last name carved into it to use for decoration or plant flowers in. I did not look at any ideas that inspired me to make this piece of artwork. The first step I took to create my pot was making coils. I used the leftover clay from making the coils to form the base of my pot. I then took the coils and slip to go around the base of my pot and continued coiling up smoothing it out once in a while. Once I got close to 18" I took a damp sponge and smoothed everything out one last time before firing it. The next step was to carve "Tapke" into the pot. I typed up my last name on Google Docs and found a font I liked before printing it out. After printing it out, I took the piece of paper and laid it on the middle of the pot. I took a sharp tool to outline the letters before removing the paper and then carving the letters deeper. I then put my pot in the back room to be fired. After my pot was fired I used the color tourmaline to glaze my pot making sure to do 3 coats. I also glazed the inside of the pot by dumping a little bit of the glaze on the inside and then taking a brush to spread it out evenly. The last step I took was taking a piece of sandpaper to smooth out the bottom of the pot after it was fired. This artwork shows that we can create larger sizes of artwork that can still be used for something. I want my audience to look at this piece of artwork and think about the different steps that went into creating a piece of artwork like this. The most difficult part of creating this piece of artwork was glazing the letters. I needed to make sure that I got enough glaze in the letters but not flood them with glaze. I overcame my struggles by glazing 3 thin coats on the letters. I am pretty happy with how this piece of artwork turned out but if I had to start over I would have made the opening of the pot bigger. This piece of artwork is unique to my own personal style because everyone has their own picture of what a pot should look like and I made mine the way I thought it should look. I like the "Tapke" that I carved into the pot. I think it adds more detail and will be perfect for a decoration.
Plate
Plate
Media: Stoneware & Glaze
Size:
Year: 2024
My idea was to make a large plate that I could use for meat, cheese, and crackers. The first step I took to make this plate was to wedge a ball of clay and then throw it on the wheel. I started by making sure the clay was wet enough and then used the palms of my hands to cone the clay up and down 5 times. Next, I used the plam of my hand to flatten the clay until it was a good thickness. After I pressed down the clay, I started forming the sides of the plate by pulling up on the sides. Then, I took a damp sponge and smoothed the surface of the plate and the outside rim. The last thing I did was take a string and pull it through the bottom of the clay to release it from the wheel. I let the plate sit on the wheel for the day to dry a little bit before moving it to the back room to be fired. My artwork shows how we can create different ceramic pieces that can have many uses. I want my audience to look at this piece of artwork and notice the imperfections but know that artwork does not have to be perfect. The most difficult part of creating this plate was making sure I didn't make it to thin and keep it round. I overcame my struggles by being okay with knowing it might not turn out how I wanted it too and just going with it. If I could start over, I would have tried to focus on keeping the shape of the plate more circular. This piece of artwork makes it unique to my own personal style because I was the one to create it. I like the size of the plate because it is perfect for a meat, cheese, and cracker platter.
Bowl
Bowl
Media: Stoneware & Glaze
Size:
Year: 2024
My idea was to make a cereal bowl. The first step I took to make this bowl was to wedge a ball of clay and then throw it on the wheel. I started by making sure the clay was wet enough and then used the palms of my hands to cone the clay up and down 5 times. Next, I used the surface of my thumbs to make a little opening to start creating the bowl. As I was pushing down to open up the clay I also pushed my thumbs against the walls of the bowl to open it up even more. After I made my bowl, I took a damp sponge and skimmed it across the inside and outside of the bowl to make everything smooth and even. I also took the sponge around the ring of the bowl to smooth out any bumps. The last thing I did was take a string and pull it through the bottom of the clay to release it from the wheel. I then set my bowl on the table to dry for a few days before firing it. This piece of artwork shows that we can create something as simple as a bowl but it can be used for many things. I want my audience to think about the thought process that has to go into creating artwork. The most difficult part of creating this bowl was making it deep enough but not making the bottom or edges too thin. I overcame my challenge by thinning the bottom, then the sides, and repeating this over and over until I got the right thickness. If I could start over I would have used a bigger ball of clay so I had more to work with. This piece of artwork is unique to my own personal style because the way I created the bowl was my picture of what a bowl should look like.
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Bunny
Bunny
Media: Stoneware & Glaze
Size:
Year: 2024
My idea was to make a mold that I could decorate. I did not look at any pictures that inspired me to make this artwork. The first step I took to make the bunny mold was mixing water and clay to make a liquid slip, making sure there were no clumps. Next, I poured the slip into the bunny mold and then tapped the mold to make sure there were no air bubbles trapped inside. Then, I let the mold dry for a few days before I took it out and trimmed it up. I took a sharp utensil to scrape off the clay line around the bunny before I took a damp sponge to smooth it all out. After I trimmed and smoothed out the bunny I set it in the back room to be fired. Once the bunny was fired I took a small piece of sandpaper and smoothed out any sharp or rough spots also making sure the bottom of the bunny was smooth so it wouldn't scratch any surfaces. The last thing I did was wash off the bunny and glaze it a COLOR USED?? This artwork shows that even something as simple as a mold that doesn't involve many steps is still considered a piece of artwork. I want my audience to think about how much preparation and time goes into a mold. You have to get the perfect consistency for the slip and continue to fill and tap the mold. The most difficult part of creating this mold was getting the right consistency for the slip. I overcame my struggles by adding a little water in at a time and mixing it well. I would not change anything if I had to start over.
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Chicks
Chicks
Media: Stoneware & Glaze
Size:
Year: 2024
My idea was to make a mold that I could decorate. I did not look at any pictures that inspired me to make this artwork. The first step I took to make the chick mold was mixing water and clay to make a liquid slip, making sure there were no clumps. Next, I poured the slip into the chick mold and then tapped the mold to make sure there were no air bubbles trapped inside. Then, I let the mold dry for a few days before I took it out and trimmed it up. I took a sharp utensil to scrape off the clay line around the chicks before taking a damp sponge to smooth it all out. After I trimmed and smoothed out the chicks I set them in the back room to be fired. Once the chicks were fired I took a small piece of sandpaper and smoothed out any sharp or rough spots also making sure the bottom of the chicks were smooth so it wouldn't scratch any surfaces. The last thing I did was wash off the chicks and glaze them COLOR USED?? This artwork shows that even something as simple as a mold that doesn't involve many steps is still considered a piece of artwork. I want my audience to think about how much preparation and time goes into a mold. You have to get the perfect consistency for the slip and continue to fill and tap the mold. The most difficult part of creating this mold was pouring the slip into the mold. The holes for the mold were very small so the consistency of the slip had to be on the thinner side. I overcame my struggles by making the slip as thin of a consistency as I could and I used a spoon to fill the mold up. If I could start over I would have probably tried to spend the time to make the slip thinner because the bottoms of the chicks are not formed all the way.
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