Ceramics I

I am most proud of my underglaze transfer project because I think it came out really well and showed an aestetic I wasn't expecting but a, very proud of. I was scared to do the underglaze transfers because on the practice slabs they didn't come out very well, and I wanted the transfers to look good since I was proud of my shape. I took a long time painting and crafting my ideas and colors and making sure that my layering of underglaze colors was accurate and was going to transfer how I wanted. The form itself didn't take that long to make the general shape, but it took a surprising amount of time to fill in the gaps which unfortunately cracked anyway when it was fired. When it was finished I was impressed with the almost vintage look the underglaze transfers gave. There were slightly speckled and looked a bit worn but overall they came out clear. I think that this project taught me to have faith in myself and my work, and if I spend time and a lot of effort on it, it usually turns out okay. Of course there are always the times it doesn't but when you pay attention to detail and make sure you are doing procedure correctly it often works out well. I also had a hard time understanding for a while the concept that if I didn't cut my slabs at an angle there would be a gap at every corner, so I just went with it, because also I wasn't sure how to measure the angle as my buts weren't exact. I just smoothed down the corners instead which turned out pretty well although it did crack, which was from not quite enough slipping and scoring to put those extra filler coils in I believe. 

Before taking this class I had very little knowledge of ceramics. I had done some clay work in 3D design and the sgraffito tile in Foundations of Art, but that was really basic knowledge about how to make forms hollow and just learning how to feel comfortable working the clay with your hands, and it was mostly a free-for-all. I learned a lot more tecnique this year and i learned how to make things come out as best as they can. The most I learned about however is glaze. I really enjoyed working with glazes and experimenting with how they look mixed, and overlapped, ad well as underglaze vs overglaze, and how those look before vs after being fired. For my lidded jar pinch pot project, I used green underglaze and then just put a clear coat of overglaze on it which is what I was used to doing in other classes. I was unsure about how to use or how the other glazes would look and how to use them. The frogs came out as expected but when I saw the glazes that other people had used and how almost two toned and shiny they were I was really intrigued. For my tomatoes I used an overglaze however it was a satin matte so it did not have that classic glaze look. I really didn't see that in any of my projects until the coil pot project which I think the colors came out super well. This class has also really opened my eyes to how mugs and ceramics around me are made. I didn't used to cre thta much, I would pick up my mug and drink tea out of it. Now I look at cups and think about how the person did that or maybe how I could do something to make a form of my own look similar.

I think that I would suggest not talking for quite so long at the beginning of class. I thought that demonstrations were really helpful, but I think it could be nice to give us examples then let us look at them on our own so if some people have their ideas already and want to just get working they can. It takes up class time and often doesn't leave a lot of work time which is tricky especially for me, because I seem to be quite a slow worker. Also in my own opinion I can work and listen or watch. So if you have a video or some techniques to show us, it might be helpful to have everyone get out their projects and go along with you so we can not only experience the process and really get a feel for it, but also be working on our pieces while still learning.