How have you grown as an artist? Reflect on what your portfolio (all work you created through semester) may or may not reveal about the semester. Do you think the work in your portfolio is an accurate reflection of your development in the class? Discuss each piece (the one from the beginning and the project you picked) and how you grew in the following areas: application of materials, techniques and skills, artistic vision, use of the principles and elements, creativity, intuition and subject matter. DON'T FORGET TO ADD PHOTOS! (2 photos = 1 from beginning and 1 from end)
Over the semester, my style and process changed a lot but I think the biggest improvement I made is that I stopped chasing perfection. In the beginning I wanted my rattle piece to be absolutely perfect, I didn't enjoy the process of making it as much as I should have. In the end when it didn't work out because it exploded I was upset because I didn't get the chance to make it better. After that experience I stopped chasing perfection as much and it resulted in some pieces I really ended up loving even if they weren't what I imagined.
In one of my final pieces, the book project, I decided to do something fun and creative. Somethings I did differently between the rattle piece and the book project is the way I approached the design, in the rattle piece I looked up references and I wanted it to turn up exactly like the reference. I used In the book project I decided to make something out of my imagination. I think my portfolio is an accurate reflection of my development in class, it reflects on my skill level, creativity and overall ability to construct ideas. It shows all the new techniques I learnt throughout the semester and how I did things differently from piece to piece.
Rattle piece
Book project
Discuss one project where you felt you were the least successful. Explain why you felt this way. What would you do differently to change this piece? Explain. DON'T FORGET TO ADD PHOTOS
The piece I think is least successful is my pitfire piece. I think the structure of the piece didn't work the way I ended up the way I wanted it to. The color distribution also wasn't what I hoped for so it looked muddy and undistributed. If I could do it again I'd have a different shape for the pot, I would have gone for a more rounded look instead of a box. I would have also made it more symmetrical to make it look elegant. In the firing process, I would've added less wood and more wire and eggshells for a more diverse color pallet. Overall I'd try to fix all minor and major mistakes and also add new things I learnt throughout the semester.
What medium was your favorite to work with? Explain why and how you were able to master the techniques associated with this medium. DON'T FORGET TO ADD PHOTOS
My favourite medium in this class was definitely using underglaze on clay. In my opinion it was the easiest material to work with because of its adaptability. Carving designs in the pot makes the possibilities for the end piece really diverse which I really like. I like having options on what to do in my piece instead of just having a specific result I need to achieve. Other than that, the process of sgraffito is really relaxing and I overall enjoyed it.
Do over: If given the opportunity, which project would you do over? Describe why and how you would redo this project. Reasons might include choosing a different theme, using a different medium or creating a different idea completely. DON'T FORGET TO ADD PHOTOS.
I would redo the slab project. I really like the location and colors I chose, unfortunately it's really tiny and the shape of the slab isn't structured. If I could redo it, I would increase the size of the slab and make the shape even. I would also incorporate more detail into the buildings by adding some extra shading and maybe some texture while constructing the slab. Overall I really like the piece, but the composition is something I'd do over.