Ceramics 1
Dalani Beuthien "Thorns and Roses"
Size, Clay and Glaze, 2023
When choosing what kind of pitcher I wanted to make I thought about what I would actually use or display. I chose to make the pattern have flowers and a vine to match the decor in my room. To make this pitcher I rolled out my clay on a textured mat and then used a stencil to trace the sides. After connecting the sides I added the bottom and the vine. When glazing I added 3 layers of each color. The meaning behind my artwork is that not everything is perfect. I chose this meaning because my artwork has some bumps and weird colors in it but that's ok because not everything is perfect. The most difficult part of this was trying to get the leaves and vine to stay on without ruining the design underneath. To overcome this challenge I worked really gently and patiently. This is a utilitarian project and my favorite part about it is the blue color. I think the colors I chose complement each other really well.
Dalani Beuthien "Lightning and Stars"
Size, Clay and Glaze, 2023
My idea for this piece was to create something that reflected things that I liked while also being useful. I was inspired by some other people who have made tic-tac-toe boards before. To make this piece I started with just a square of clay and some coils which I added to the sides and middle. I smoothed the coils out, squared them off a little bit, and shaped them a lot. Next, I made all the pieces and cut them out of the clay. I used stamps to make the stars and lightning bolts. This artwork reflects things I like. I love Western fashion and lifestyle so that inspired the turquoise lightning bolts and gold stars. The most difficult part of this piece was making the shapes without them cracking or falling apart. To overcome this I had to throw away a couple of pieces but it turned out fine because I still had enough to fill the board. I love that this piece is something that I'm actually going to use.
Dalani Beuthien "Water Fall"
Size, Clay, and Glaze, 2023
My idea for these pieces was to make three bowls that stack together. Originally I was going to make three separate bowls on the wheel, but they all stacked together perfectly, which inspired me to paint them all different shades of blue and make a set. To make these bowls I had to use the wheel which I had to take a lot of time to center each piece of clay and get the shape perfect. After each piece of clay had dried for a couple of days I went in and scraped some of the really thick parts to make sure they would survive through the firing process. I also had to add a foot to the bottom of each of them. Using a sponge helped me a lot in this process because I could get the sides and top really smooth. There isn't any meaning to this artwork but what I see is a mysterious or dark set of bowls. I think the colors give it a spooky feeling. Something that was the most difficult for me was being patient when I would get my clay-centered and it collapsed. After spending a lot of time centering clay and then it being ruined in a second is really discouraging but I stuck it out. If I started over I would spend more time making the inside of the bowls really smooth. Something I love about this piece is how I can actually use it because a lot of times the things you make in this class aren't practical or you aren't able to use them.
Ice cream 3.mp4Dalani and Sophia "Ice Cream vs The Sun"
Stop Motion, 2023
We got our idea because we wanted something simple but not boring. Our idea is that the ice cream cone catches the three scoops of ice cream and then goes towards the sun and melts. We figured we could get a long enough video from this and it wouldn't be too hard to create. We picked out the background we wanted and then added a sun. Next, we picked out our clay colors and started shaping all of our pieces and lastly, we created the video. There is no symbolic imagery in our piece. Something difficult for us was making the video long enough. We ended up making the ice cream melt all the way and we made the cone roll out of the frame to add time. Something I love about this piece is the background. I love how detailed it is.
Dalani Beuthien "Star Face"
Size, Clay, and Glaze, 2023
My idea for this piece evolved when I saw another person make a clay mask. To make this piece I first had to choose a face mold and put baby oil on it. I then put my clay over top and smoothed it out so the face could show through. I left it for a couple of days to dry and then it got fired. Next, I sanded and glazed it. In my piece I made the eyebrows look angry so people would think the face is mad. Something difficult for me was shaping the nose and mouth. If I started over I would spend more time shaping the nose and mouth. Something I love about this piece is the star because I think it adds character.