Week 4

       During the week we finished our Plates with the englobe with the negative and positive shapes and placed them in the drying cabinet. Then we had two classes where we did our history of ceramics and drew miniature versions of each piece. Our stamps were fired so we had a chance to use them and I made a bowl. Which is in the making with a hump mold. We also watched a video of pinch pots and made a pinch pot. I didn't use the traditional way with your fingers but used a tool because my finger nails were scratching the clay. Next week we'll make a miniature replica of one of the history pieces.

Week 3

      Over the week we used molds to make platters, two in fact. I made two plates using a circular mold. The goal was for the clay to be even and become leather hard to paint on.  Engobe is a paint that can go on plastic or leather hard.  By making a paper stencil one positive and one negative, the engobe paint, in my case dark blue and dark green, could be applied in opposites; one plate the fish is painted the other everything but the fish is painted.  We are still working on slabs and techniques for our clay. Once the clay dried into leather hard, you could take it out of the mold, turn it upside down, and shave off the rough edges on the bottom. I also finished carving my "die" cube stamp and the press down stamp. Next class the plan is to carve off some engobe to see the white clay through it. I plan to carve gills and fins, as well as the eye back into the design. The next project is to make a hump mold with many rose shaped clay petals. Hopefully painted with rose pink glaze.

Week 2

        During the week we used clay to make stamps. I made two cylinder stamps when it was in the plastic stage. In between plastic and leather, I drew a design of coral and fish on one of the cylinders. The next class it was leather hard, meaning it wasn't bone dry nor wet clay. It was the perfect stage to carve, because it became a dust when carved and you didn't get carve marks left on the surface. I finished carving the coral and fish in a way that once it is fired, it's not just a stamp but a 3-D scene where the fish are carved deeper than the coral. When stamped the fish will be above the coral and the coral will have more depth then the water. We learned how to use certain tools by practicing, such as using the wooden tools to seam the slabs together while in plastic or carving with the loop tools in leather. The sponges while damp helped smooth out the ridges and seams, as well as my slab plate.

Using theme and subject as well as motifs we can make stamps in any shape or form.

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