Ceramics 1

I am most proud of my two matching PC-23 Float Blue mugs, these mugs are part of the soft slab construction project. I love the way the glazes allow the ridges of the stone-like carve to stand out, while pooling in the cravasses. I am not only proud of the glaze application, but also the form of the mug. I really wated each mug to have a delicate look, and to achieve this, I made the slabs very thin whhich was very hard, but I think looked better in the end. I also took a lot of time to smooth out these mugs, waiting for each one to get bone dry before sanding them. It was also during the soft slab construction project that I learned that without proper attchment, separate parts of a piece are far more likley to fall off, as my handel did. I was in a rush, and knew that the attachment connection was flimy, however I was too lazy to fix the issue. After the bisque firing, when I picked up the mug by it's handle, the handle fell off immediately. Although I was sad that the handle fell off, I was able to sand down the sharp parts and turn what was once a mug into a tumbler, which I actually likled better.

After taking this class, i've relized the sculpting clay is defintly not as easy as I thought. I had no idea the thoughtfulness required for making a single piece. In order to make something good, I relized after a few pieces, a lot of planning is reuired to account for the multiple steps involved; the construction, sanding and smoothing, a bisque firing, three coast of glaze and then finaly another firing. Not only is ceramics not more labor and though intensive than I had imagined, but it has also changed the way I now view art in the world around me. Before taking Ceramics, when I looked around and saw a painting or drawing I would automatically think art, I now relize that art is not limited to 2D pieces, but also basic functional items such as a chair or a mug. I know have a new found respect for these art forms. I can admire them in a new way after now realizing how hard it is to make beautiful things.

I honestly don't have any suggestions for this class. I though that we got th eperfect balance of freedom and support. The only possible suggestion that I would make is to possibly include a required figure project. One where sudents should be required to create an animal, or creature. Although in the last project, one could do figure work if they choose, there was not a project the only focused on how to create something as detailed as making a creature. There might be something similar to a project like this in Ceramics II though.