Ceramics 2016

Previous masks inspired this piece. It was made to be the opposite of the Woman of Africa. This piece was similar in the sense of having it made for decoration. The colors were also chosen to have a rustic and antique look. The raku glaze was made to crackle and give off a sense of an old unique look. The Man of Africa was made to be a happy and seem to be laughing. It was mysterious in the sense of not knowing what he would have been happy about.

Stoneware with Grog - This African mask was inspired by previous work. This mask was made for a mysterious, dark, African woman mask. It is perfect for decoration and a conversational piece for a public place. The woman has a blank face showing no emotion. The hair for the piece moves the viewer’s eyes around the piece. This piece was glazed overall with raku glaze to give it an antique crackle look. The colors were chosen to give the piece an old rustic look. This woman is to signify a woman in waiting, who is calm and relaxed. She is not worried about what the future holds for her.

Raku African Masks

The African mask was created with a hump mold. To achieve a hump mold, a large amount of clay is placed into a desired shape. A slab is then rolled out to be placed on top of clay where is sits for a few days to dry. Once the slab is dry, it holds the shape and is then pushed out where the lips, nose and eyes are. The carved detail in the mask is to go with an ancient African style. The raku glaze is used to give a crackle ancient look. The red and yellow are simple colors used to make the piece look simple and unique. This mask measures 18" x 10"