Handles
Planning: I was unsure what exact style of handle to make, but I decided upon some type of geometric and angular design. I was originally planning on putting a rectangular handle onto a cup made using a slab-building technique but later changed that to a pinch pot teacup with a square handle.
Construction Process: I started by making a pretty basic teacup using normal pinch potting techniques. I made sure to make the diameter of the opening about the same as it's height. This would allow for the square handle to fit with the square dimensions of the teacup when viewed from the side (such as in the photo). I then rolled out some clay and used a felting knife to cup out a strip that would be used for the handle. I then very slowly turned the clay to form a square with one side missing. One side was longer than the other to account for the concavity of the teacup. I then scroed and slipped the handle on.
Reflection: I had to effectively attach the handle on, which meant that the top had to have a larger attachment point than just the thin strip of clay the rest of the handle is made out of. This leads to slightly less aesthetic appeal as it takes away from the squareness of everything. Additionally, as you go down on the teacup it caves in, which is normal for most teacups but I feel like the sides being fully straight would be better for this piece and lead to a better-looking handle that doesn't feel lopsided and is instead fully square. The handle's size was a bit too small, as I was only able to fit a single finger inside of it. This is partly due to the size of the teacup, so if I were to go back and do this again I'd make a slightly larger teacup along with a slightly larger handle so that the user can effectively hold the piece.
No firing ticket available as I did not fire this.
Master work of art from 2D to 3D
Planning: For my master work I decided to recreautre Mark Rothko pieces into 3D. I was initially unsure how to go about doing this because his peices do not depict literal objects but are rather much more abstract. I decided to therefore make his works onto ceramic peices, which in this case are trays used to store items.
Process: I started by rolling out clay using the machine outside. Then, I cut out a rectangle. To make the raised edges I made cuts into each side that would allow for each corner to be connected. These cuts were not at 90 degree angles to allow for a smooth connection. After being fired, I used normal glaze to draw on some examples of paintings he had made.
Reflection: Each peice is not of a consistant size as each tray was not made at the same time so measurments could not be compared. If I were to do this again I would either make them all the same size, or maybe have variying sizes taht would allow for them to go inside of each other like russian nesting dolls. Addionally, I would have made more but sadly I was unable to due to time restraints. I still feel like despite these drawbacks the peices were a success, as I ended up gifting them to my mom (who is an art history major) and are now used to hold her jewerly.
I was only able to find 2 out of the 3 firing tickets on my phone, as I likely just forgot to take a photo of one.
_edited.jpg)
_edited.jpg)
Lidden Box
Planning: I was unsure what exactly to do for this assignment, so I looked for ideas on google and Pinterest and found the pictured lidden box. I did not like the designs on it but the shape and simplicity of it I did enjoy, so I decided to model my peice somewhat after it.
Process: I started by rolling out some clay to be used for slab building with the machine outside. I then made two sets of equally sized rectangles to be used for the sides, and used those dimensions to create a base. Small angles were created on the edges of the sides to allow for them to be seamlessly connected. These were then scored and slipped together. Another slab was then created to be used as the top. As opposed to the fully flat top seen in the inspiration photo, I wanted one that would cover the top of the sides of the piece, so I measured out a slab slightly larger in dimensions than the base. This was put onto the top and folded over so that the sides could be created, which some leftover clay being cut off to connect the folds together. Finally, a ball of clay was made to act as a handle.
Reflection: The box itself appears to be okay outside of some mild imperfections that were fixed after the taking of the photo. The lid however would need improvement if it were to be made again. It was not able to carry its own weight leading to the middle caving in, especially once the ball was added. I am unsure how to prevent this outside of possibly using a thinner slab so that less weight is pulling down, but this may lead to less structural stability itself. Additionally, I would opt for a flat top seen in the inspiration photo rather than the curved one I made, as it did not work out as well as I imagined.
Poetry Response
Planning: Because my poem was about cane toads and their invasiveness in Australia I thought it made sense to make a cane toad for the project.
Process: I made the toad using the instructions on the wall of the classroom. This involved making a pinch pot as the body and coils as legs and arms. The back legs were curved quite a bit due to the position of the frog, leading to very slow manipulation of the clay having to occur to prevent the coils from breaking apart
Reflection: The shape of the toad's body is rather flat and unrepresentative of what a toad actually looks like. I should have made a more elongated body with a defined head and face to make it look more like a toad and less like a sphere with legs and arms attached. Nonetheless, I think this design makes the toad look rather humorous and cartoonish, leading to a certain charm to the piece.
Due to personal matters that led to a severe lack of motivation in class and a week of being unable to attend school, I was not able to finish some of the assignments on time.