My idea was to capture a natural mimic in a small snippet for my slab project. It needed to have 5 depths, which I showed through the mushrooms, big and small, mosses, bark, crevices, and paint to show the details. My project somewhat evolved due to the random patterns I decided to place, because they couldn't touch the edge. I chose nature because I always see many mushrooms and mosses that fascinate me. First, I rolled out a slab and cut out my desired shape. I used scraps of clay to create random-shaped bark and slipped and scored them. Next, I used even more round scraps to attach and draw strands to create a hairy-looking moss. Finally, I shaped the mushroom caps, put fenestrations through the bottoms, and added slits and damage. After it went through the kiln, I painted it with various earthy tones. This artwork not only shows my love for nature, but also how I understand it. I want my audience to connect with nature as I do. The most difficult part was attaching the mushrooms securely and gently. One thing I'd change is the shape of the moss. This piece is a realistic mimic of nature. It's unique to me because I love looking at nature, so why not make it? 

Size 18 x 8 x 12 inches, stoneware and glaze, 2026

We were assigned to create a large vessel; it had to measure 18 inches and have various aspects of life. When looking online for living vase inspiration, I saw animals like rabbits and flamingos. I wanted something elegant, so I decided, why not make a swan vessel? I wanted the swan to have an opening in its back so flowers could be placed, but I did not want the hole exposed. I decided to look at some pictures of swans swimming, and sometimes they position their wings upward, covering their back. Originally, I was going to put something in the mouth of the swam, but deadlines were approaching. I felt attracted to the idea of making a swan because they are so elegant and peaceful, and find one love for the rest of their life, which is what I want to be. To make this swan, we grabbed a large ball of clay and put it through the coil press; the excess puck was the base for our vessels. Using the coils, I slowly built up toward the point where the neck and wings began, and the tail enclosed. I rolled out two slabs to attach as the wings, but quickly ran into a problem; they kept caving in. To solve this, I used paper towel rolls as long-term support as the clay dried and strengthened. After shaping the breast, I used coils to build up the neck, stopped, smoothed, and continued up to the curve. When it was time to attach the head, I decided to shape a chunk of clay into a head, carve it out, and slip and score it. I got lucky it survived because I couldn't smooth the inside crease, which makes it more likely to break. When the body shape was complete, I carved and added feather details. This artwork symbolises grace and love in nature and in our lives.  Challenges I faced included stability, the level of the clay's wetness, and constantly attaching pieces. Using my time and problem-solving made sure I did not rush, which would be sloppy. If I were to start over, I would make the swan more life-sized and symmetrical. This is a realistic piece of nature which reflects my personal style.  

I wanted to make some cute, small, shallow bowls on the wheel.  This wouldn't be too challenging, but the wheel is hard for me. For each bowl, I threw large balls of clay onto the center of a dry wheel. After they secured, I started to center them; this is the hardest part of the process for me. I used my hands as a base to center and went up and down. I then used my finger and pushed a hole into the center and pulled it out. Slowly, the opening got bigger, and I guided the walls out on each one until I thought they would be stable. After drying, I trimmed them up on the wheel and fired them. The top one I glazed with Olive speckle and palladium, and the bottom one I glazed with blue midnight with toasted sage Amoco Potter's Choice glazes. If I started over, I would make the green ones' walls symmetrical and the blue ones' glaze different. This style has no objective, just to experiment with the wheel and glaze. I do really love the combination of Olive speckle and Pallidium.