Ceramics I

Final Reflection

Out of the many pieces of ceramics I made this semester, the one that I am most proud of is my slab cone shaped mug. I am most proud of this mug because of its craftsmanship and just the way the mug turned out. I love the glaze that I used on it and the way that I left some raw clay exposed on the lower part. I made this mug as an extra little project after I finished my other stuff but it turned out being my favorite mug. The shape of it looks cool and funky to me, especially with the blue and brown glaze and in theory it is a good mug for hot liquids because of the cone shape that traps heat. If I were to make more pottery, they would be inspired by this mug to match as a set. When making this mug I learned that by letting the slab dry out just a little, it makes forming the mug easier and prevents it from getting deformed and minimises fingerprints, which was a problem that I had while making previous mugs and pottery.

How taking this class has changed the way I think about ceramics is by finding the methods and techniques that I am good at and enjoy the most. My previous ceramics experience was mostly learning the basic techniques that I already knew. In this class I learned other techniques and tips that I didn't know, some of which were tips that Mr. A knew through his experiences and not just what was on the curriculum. For example, his idea to soak ink into the cracks of the glaze. In this class we also took time to look at other artists work to be inspired and maybe try a new and different technique or style. Overall, in this class I just got a deeper look at the world of ceramics and the many different ways to use the medium.