Ceramics II

I think that my experience in ceramics II was successful because of how many projects I was able to complete and like the final result of. I was able to try some things that I hadn't tried before in ceramics I, such as using the extruder to make tubes and cutting in half a pinch pot to build my eccentric teapot. This class is different from ceramics I because there is a lot more freedom in terms of what you can do. Your projects have to fit a theme, such as duality, but you can do that however you want. I really like how there is more flexibility, because it means that you can make something that you'll really enjoy. I approached the projects with a sense of the theme, but also the idea that I could do whatever I want. That is part of why I really like the eccentric teapot project, because you have to make a teapot, but it can look like absolutely anything. 

The project that challenged me the most was probably the eccentric teapot. This is because of the shape of the teapot and what I did to construct it. I started with a pinch pot, but cut it in half to get the oval shape that I wanted. I also struggled with attaching the neck because it was difficult to smooth the inside of the pot. Even though I struggled with those things, I was able to get the shape I wanted, and I could smooth the inside of it with a wooden tool. The legs were also hard to attach because the clay was drying out, and one of them kept falling off, but I was able to get the leg to attach with extra glaze. The final product ended up being really good, and it is a decorative teapot because I never glazed the inside.

The project I am most proud of is the alternate material project. I really love how the clown turned out. Even though part of the project broke, I was able to fix that problem with a little umbrella, which I think really matches the beach part. It took me a while to figure out how to construct the clown, but I'm glad I did because that helped me with my projects in 3D design as well. Even though I messed up multiple parts of this project, like when I broke the tree and used the wrong glaze, I think the final product is just very fun to look at, and I like the detail that I put in it, such as the sunglasses and the flower necklace. 

I think that the way this class was run worked very well for me, because there was a lot of time to work. You could walk in to class and immediately start working if there wasn't a new project being introduced. I think that was really helpful, especially because I need a lot of time to work on my projects, because I don't work that fast. This class worked really well for me, so I personally don't think that there needs to be anything done differently. If I was required to say something, it would be that sometimes the schedule can be a bit confusing. However, that is mostly affected by snow days and stuff. Overall, I think that this is definitely one of my favorite classes that I ever took at Freeport.