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Unit 5
Mask or Wall Hanging
Considering my relatively poor fine motor skills, I had pretty low expectations for the final product of this project. However, it went slightly better than expected. I wanted to base this mask on an image from a video game I've played, but I realized the difficulties I would face when accurately decorating it. Nonetheless, I decided to execute my plan. The process itself went relatively smoothely, without any major hiccups or problems. I was somewhat concerned, however, about how the underglaze would look upon being fired considering how many times I had to cover up small mistakes, gradually layering more and more different glazes on top of one another.
Original plan with glaze labels.
Poem-Inspired Piece
Original concept made by my partner, Jimmy.
I thought this assignment was an interesting idea, and I had a good time working with my partner to create a feasible design to create using clay. At first we thought the prompt was a bit broad, but we were able to narrow it down to a representation of human nuance and individual thought. From the day this project was assigned, I knew I wanted to pair it with my bust, as I felt it'd be an effective way to convey a theme of this nature. That said, this was likely my most dreaded project all year, considering the difficulty of making busts in general. However, I soon found that molding the clay into a head and shoulders was surprisingly intuitive and natural-feeling. The unfortunate part, however, was the facial features. I have no prior experience with shaping faces, and this one I'm not particularly proud of. Nevertheless, the overall project went relatively smoothly considering its difficulty.
Alebrije
Original Plan
The development of this piece was particularly special because I didn't have a concrete plan for the glazing. Making the structure was relatively straightforward, molding the bases of a seal starting with a very thick coil. However, I deliberately kept the underglazing open-ended for myself, as I believed it would help me emphasize the, in a way, scattered, vibrant nature of the alebrije style. I honestly like the results of that decision. During the process, I didn't worry as much about how it would turn out in the end, as I would inevitably fit the albrije aesthetic, no matter how disasterous it turned out. That was the mindset I had at the time, at least. If I were to do this piece again, I'd likely add or two more unique colors.
Useful Piece
This piece may be simple, but it's its striking simplicity yet practicality that makes it likely one of my favorite projects this year. I wanted to finally make something straightforward and practical that I would be comfortable using day-to-day, and I think I succeeded. Construction was fairly simple. I rolled out a semi-thick puck/sphere and molded it into a refined pinch pot. I put emphasis on making it relatively large to make it practical for most meals. Glazing was much the same, and I think it turned out perfect for a useful vessel. If I were to do this project again, however, I'd probably roll out a slightly larger coil for the foot so as to make it more balanced.
Artist-Inspired Piece
I had no particular vision in mind for my artist-inspired piece. However, this piece on Pinterest, created by an artist by the name of Justina Blakeney, caught my eye due to its interesting use of blending glaze. I hadn't done must experimentation with mixing glaze yet, so I took inspiration from it. The process went very smoothly. I first made a slump mold using a water bowl, then made a small cylindrical base using slab building techniques. I tried to be precise as I could with the glazing, so as to replicate the smoothed-out, gradual blend-like texture of the inspiration. Unfortunately, however, this was the only part of the final product that was ultimately disappointing. It doesn't have quite the same effect as the original, yet I think it still looks unique. If I were to redo this piece, I'd likely use softer, lighter colors to hopefully better replicate the original piece's texture.
Original Inspiration
Plan
Choice Project
Original Plan
For my choice project, I knew I wanted to redo my box/container piece, as I don't think the one I made last semester was up to my current standards. However, I opted to make it a curved or cylindrical-shaped container rather than a box. Having much experience with slab building at this point, the construction process went relatively smoothly. I cut out two rectangular slabs of equal dimensions, curved them, then score and slipped the edges together to make one cohesive body for a container. I then cut out a base and a fitted lid, made with a coil. As for its decorations, I wanted to push my boundaries for glazing, opting to glaze the two sides different colors without mixing the two. Overall, I'm very happy with the final product. It definitely fills the void left by my lackluster box last semester. If I were to do this project again, I'd ad one or two more layers of glaze to prevent the small missed patches that unfortunately appear in the final product.
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