Ceramics I

I am most proud of my Francolin Tea Set. I really like what I did with the glazes, and also how the form turned out. I also am proud of the pour that I managed to get out of the spout, because it has almost no drip, and pours really nicely in a curve. I learned a lot from doing this project. One this I learned was that I am really good at detail, and that I can be very good at replicating something precisely. I also learned that when working with coils, you need to be careful about size, not to get it too small or too large. I also learned that sometimes you need to bend the rules if you have a vision, and want to follow it. I did this with the addin of cups to the tea set, bending the rules but not breaking them entirely! Another thing I learned about the manipulation of clay is how to make pull handles! I did this for the handle on the tea pot.

I keep noticing all the ceramic ware that I use in day to day life, and which ones were most likely machine built, and which ones were wheel thrown, and which ones were handbuilt. I also keep noticing the glazes, and different techniques that people have used with the glazes. I have also gained a lot more appreciation for ceramic artists, it is really difficult to get everything just right, and somehow they manage. I have also gained some ideas for my own art make in this class, like for instance: how can metal and clay work together? that is a big question that I think would be interesting to experiment with. I think it would be interesting also to learn more about glazes, and maybe learn to make them myself. I think that the chemical and scientific side of ceramics will interest me greatly.

I really can't think of something that could realistically be improved upon! I really enjoyed the class, I learned a lot, and I was given a lot of freedom for self expression. There isn't much more that I can ask for! I know that if I would like to work more with clay, there a opportunities for that, which I am happy for, since I don't think I got to explore all that I wanted yet. See you next semester!