Final Reflection

Of which in-class project (Pinch Pots, Coil Pot, Slab Project, Artist Inspired) are you most proud? Why? Please explain and be specific. What did you learn from doing this project (about yourself as an art maker and/or about the technical process of working with clay)?

I would say I am most proud of my Multiple Pinch Project, the Rodin hand study. It's incredibly hard to imitate anatomy and I still pick out ways that I missed accurate details for this sculpture, but I was beyond surprised and impressed that I could create something that really looked like a human hand. There's no mistaking it for anything but that. I also loved that I was able to take inspiration from one of my favorite artists and use that to be okay with imperfection. As an impressionist sculpture, Auguste Rodin has a style that's almost globby and lacks precision and detail. He has streaks and bumps in his work but manages to create overall structures that have staggering emotion. I was largely inspired by his hand studies and his sculpture, La Cathédral. I learned that I don't need to make a project perfectly smooth or precise for it to turn out beautifully and to say I'm proud of it.

How has taking this class changed the way you think about ceramics? This could include your own art-making, how you appreciate art, and/or how you might look differently at art in the world around you.

I have a new appreciation for ceramics because I can see that handbuilding ceramics is very hard. Clay is incredibly responsive and it's not as easy to get a smooth surface or a 3D form that looks as it should from all sides. I also learned a lot about the different styles of ceramics through the artist research project. I have a deeper understanding of the ceramics process and the way that a glaze, a form, and a surface texture can influence each other in a final product.

What recommendations would you make for ways that the class could be improved (please don’t worry about hurting my feelings- artists learn from, and expect, constructive criticism).

I would first say I love the atmosphere of the classroom. When I walk in, I always feel less stressed. Knowing that I'm coming into a creative space that encourages mistakes and exploration is calming compared to the expectations of other classes and the lack of room for error. I appreciate Mr. A's easygoing attitude and friendliness. There were some times where I wished we were able to go through instruction faster to get to work or if I asked for help with something it took a while to get my question answered or the material in my hands. Though this was sometimes my own impatience, there were times where the projects were already late or I was pressed for time and it would be helpful to have a quicker response to those things. I really enjoyed the flexibility of the class and the ability to come in and work on projects outside of class as well as the room to work on and add to my digital portfolio without strict deadlines that didn't allow for extra time working on the physical projects. Thank you for a great semester!!