Reflection

I am most proud of the last project, the artist inspired project. I was inspired by James Tingey and his use of environment/nature in his pieces. Although it might be hard to see, the lid to the tea pot look like an acorn from the top. I love how the glaze came out. You can't see it from the outside, but the inside has this light blue ring on the bottom because the glaze turns certain colors. This is because of how I applied it and the thickness of the clay. I spent a good amount of time trying to make things look finalized. I learned, on accident, that if you have a very thin base it can kind of hollow in, making this cool ring on the bottom of the pot. I also learned how to make a dome-ish lid (not flat) as well as a lid securing system (where you put a slab on the inside of the lid to make it stay).

I definitely came into this class thinking that it was going to be easier than it was. Clay is hard to maneuver and shape at first and in general. It's a messy medium. However, I get why so many artists enjoy and use clay as their mediums. I learned a lot of new techniques (coil, pinch, slab, etc..) and basic things (how much water is needed, tools, etc..) that helped to push me to do more technical things. I now appreciate more the work that goes into making ceramic pieces/works. I now pay more attention to the detail and form of sculptures or pieces I see online or in person. I also was reminded that glazes are sometimes tricky as they don't always start as the color they will turn once fired.

Honestly, I'm having a hard time thinking of any. I don't think we ever did a pot where we could just choose what we wanted to do, even though there were definitely projects where the requirements were pretty loose. Anyways, maybe we could do a project where it's fully just us making something, choosing our own technique and design. I also feel like it would be fun to do a themed one. Maybe like a movie/show/book inspired. Or maybe a pet/person inspired one, that would be fun.