I am beyond happy and satisfied with how my items turned out. I sadly did not use any greenware techniques. On the bottom of a few of my items, the foot is a spiral and on the vase, I made a double foot!

I think for most of these I went way too hard on the trimming aspect. I could be a little lighter handed next time. My overall theme was a night sky!

For my project, I created a realistic human heart with a built-in storage compartment, a Claddagh ring, and a hand. I used pinch and slab techniques to form the heart, giving it texture and detail to resemble valves. The hand was built using pinch and additive methods to appear lifelike, while the ring was hand-sculpted to mimic the traditional Irish design. My original plan was to have two hands to show different ways of wearing the Claddagh ring, which symbolize relationship status, but one hand exploded in the kiln and the ring didn’t fit the surviving hand. I adapted the composition so the hand rests on the heart, as if it’s holding or prying it open. The surface treatments included realistic textures for the heart and smooth finishes for the hand and ring. I used deep reds for the heart, a neutral tone for the hand, and a golden-like glaze for the ring.

This piece is a reflection of my Irish cultural heritage, using the Claddagh ring—a traditional Irish symbol of love, loyalty, and friendship—as the foundation. It represents a cultural product, and the way it is worn reflects cultural practices. The act of placing the hand on the heart connects to Irish perspectives on emotional strength and intimacy. While the ring traditionally communicates relationship status, the sculpture transforms it into a metaphor for vulnerability and emotional openness. By combining these symbols, I explored not just who I am personally, but how my culture has shaped the way I value love, loyalty, and connection.

This is an apple cutter and an apple that's cut into 7 pieces total. The inside of the apple is matte while the outside is glossy, representing the natural shine of an apple. I brushed brown underglaze to represent the slowly rotting fruit. every slice is solid clay and made my teacher extremely uncomfortable to fire. there are seeds within the apple and places where seeds should be but aren't. theres indents at the bottom to represent the uneven bottom of an apple and dipped top of one. This project follows a typical color and size of a Gala apple. 

I used the additive method to build this, gradually layering clay to create a wide, circular form with a subtle spiral that draws the eye inward. The subject of the piece is a swirling void or vortex, inspired by celestial and atmospheric imagery. I applied glaze in layers to create a sense of depth and motion, blending deep blues, blacks, and hints of purple. I used LG and StrokeNCoat. These color choices reflect Jack Goldstein’s dramatic use of contrast and light, particularly in his paintings of cosmic and natural phenomena. The textured surface and glossy glaze give the piece a sense of energy and movement, much like Goldstein’s depictions of lightning, explosions, or space.

I selected Jack Goldstein as my artist because of his ability to capture immense, overwhelming natural forces in a minimalist yet powerful way. Like Goldstein, I aimed to create something that feels larger than life, using a swirl as a symbol of the unknown.