During this lesson, I learned how to use an exacto knife to cut and carve into a clay plate. I was inspired by pictures I saw on Pinterest. My goal was to create a plate with a village/town on it, with the sky in the middle. I think that I accomplished this. 

While making this project I learned how to imprint patterns into clay, then cut and shape it into a bowl. I was inspired to make this by others at my table. I think I accomplished my goal when I made this. I am happy with the way it looks and how it is shaped. 

During the process of building and painting this project, I learned a lot of new things. I learned how to cut out the shape of my logo, assemble it with paper mache and cardboard. I then taped it all together and got ready to paint it, after making sure it was smooth. Lastly, I painted and glued on images and depictions of things I feel lie described me.  I am very happy with the way it turned out. 

When creating this sculpture, I learned to shape clay and keep it moist enough to work with after days of sitting.  While building, one of the antlers broke off. I was able to score it and use slip, which allowed me to stick it back on successfully. Before firing my animal, I added texture to create fur.  After it as fired, I used fading effects of paint to create an effect on the moose, making it look realistic. 

In the process of carving this item, I learned to use lots of new tools and techniques. I tried to make the stem of the pear out of foam, but while I was carving it, the stem broke. To improvise, I used metal wire to create a stem. In order to shape the foam into a pear shape, I used many different tools. Mainly, I used a Dremel too, which is a small drill that quickly shapes the foam.  After shaping it, I painted it and made it look realistic. To finish it off, I sprayed it with a clear coat to make it shiny.

Creating this pot was a very long and careful process. I started by brainstorming shapes that I wanted to use for my pot. Once I figured out what I wanted to do, I began assembling clay "ropes". Depending on where you place the next rope, it would determine the shape of your pot.  After reaching my desired shape and height, I began planning on what design to add to the pot. Then, I used tools and a knife to carve out the design on the pot. Now, It was time to fire to pot. Once fired, you can add your glaze colors. After glazing the pot, we took it out of an incredibly hot kiln and put it in a bucket with sawdust to form cool colors. Lastly, we submerged the pot in cold water. I learned a lot of techniques during this project, and I am very pleased with the way that it looks. 

To create these clay projects, I used some techniques that I have never used before. First, I learned how to center a piece of clay on the wheel. Then, I turned the wheel on. Once spinning, you can begin shaping the clay with your hands. It took me a couple of tries, but once I reached my desired shape I took a wire and cut the clay off of the wheel. After creating a bowl and a cup, I put them on the trimmer to rid them of any excess clay. At this point, it was time to fire them in the kiln. After firing them, we used a special type of glaze that has small chunks in it. These chunks added a cool effect to the paint. I am happy with the way these turned out, and am looking forward to showing them to my parents.