Ceramics in Progress

 Project 1:

Carving from a slab of clay

Approx. 4 x 4 x.75"

Update (no pictures yet) It has been bisque fired and stained. It is in the kiln for the second time :)

Project 2:

Hand-built coil pot with carved decoration

9"x4" at the widest point

Update (no pictures yet): It has been bisque fired and we will be adding color to before the end of the semester.

Project 3: 

Historical Project

This is the original piece that I replicated. It is a Late Minoan-Early Greek pot. This particular piece was used for storage and would have a lid. It has 3 handles (I win on the most added handles in my class) that the lid would attach to. The red spot is a result of a problem occurring in the firing process. It would be about 13" and would be fully functional. Multiple pots would be strung from a pole for transportation.

For the project we were supposed to make the piece twice the size of the original, but because my piece was wide we had  shrink it so I wasn't making a piece that was 15" in diameter.

Hand-built using the coiling method with Terracotta Clay

It stands approximately 16-18" high and the widest point is 13" in diameter. It weighs somewhere between 30-40 lbs. at this point. It is not fired when when the slip decoration is painted on. The clay is leather hard when it is added. It is much different than regular painting. The slip has a consistency of mashed up cottage cheese (just imagine painting with that). You can make different colors for the slip decoration (but my piece only required black and white) The black was very unforgiving to paint with (Once you go black, you never go back). I found that you could scrape back the black and get rid of some of it and painting over with with white helped, but the black is still visible through the white is some spots.

 As it dries is gets a chalky look. I think this was a day or two before the first firing. Don't worry, during firing the slip turns black and white which is pretty darn cool if you ask me.

This is after the first firing. Sadly there is a crack on the inside of the rim of the pot. I'm not sure if it was the result of the day we only had drier clay to use because someone in the studio didn't cover up the clay or not, but I am still happy with it. I am hoping that when I add the clear glaze it will seal it up, but if no, it gives it character, right? :) 

So far, I really do enjoy my ceramics class. I've learned a ton and I've improved a bunch from the work that I did in high school. Overall, I'm proud of the projects that I have done. After these projects, we started throwing on the wheel, which I really enjoy as well. Project 4 was to make 10 cups and Project 5 was to make 5 mugs-pulled handles and all. The cups will be bisque fired really soon and we are pulling handles and trimming the feet on the mugs, so i'll post pictures of those later.

Peace out, friends. I really do appreciate you checking out my art work and supporting me in what I love to do. I love you! (Be sure to follow this blog, leave comments, check out JenDrawsIt on Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!)