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.