Week 12

Since Thanksgiving week was a short week we skipped the blog. This week we worked on our cube project. After cutting my 6 slabs in a 3inx3in square, I covered them in plastic in order for them to become leather hard for the next class. I then proceeded to make each side at a 45 degree angle so when you put two slabs together it made a sharp corner. I also included a coil on every side to give it extra strength. Once the cube was made I cut it in the middle with a squiggly line, for the box to open. Then on the top I sculpted a bird; A dove. Next class I was going to cover it in words related to flight. We also got our mugs back. After a third firing for the high fire glaze, it came out shiny. I used red fire brick with frosted turquoise on top to give it a crackled appearance.

Mini Series

I'm deciding on making jewelry or a tea set to go with my teapot. Or I might do both :)

Term Two Projects

For the combination piece I am making a teapot. I brought the slabs home and it is put together and finished, in terms of building and sculpting. For the box project I am making a jewelry box by the dimensions of 2in x 2in x 2in. It will be sgraffitoed in black englobe and have a domed top with a sculpted bird as the handle. I plan to sgraffito trees and lines freehand onto the sides. And for the series I plan to make clay jewelry, but I'm not completely sure yet. I know the cube had to be designed first, but I was thinking the teapot was the cube project originally. So I'm doing mine out of order; with the combination first. So here is my drawing, prototype, and rough creation.

This is the drawing for the cube.

Fired Pieces

Week 10

This week my mug broke, the one I was was working on for the last two weeks. It's very frustrating when you have to start from scratch with a dead line. I decided to take clay home and start over there, instead of getting through the project with a crappy replacement. I did save the handle from the broken mug and wrapped it in wet paper towels and plastic wrap for an hour. It was like brand new clay, so it was easy to place the handle on the new mug. I went with a different design, with a K, a moon and sun. I also used a DD cup to keep this new mug round. I also designed my next project which is my interpretation of the cube project. As well as the pinch pots got fired (next post)

The first design I choose was the phoenix, but it broke so it was reborn as the sun and moon.

Here is the new mug and old handle

The tools

Making it round(er)

Attached!

Sun

K

Moon

For the "Combination" project I plan on making a teapot with the following pieces and dimensions.

Week 9

This week we continued to put our mugs together and carve(hopefully). With the hurricane we had two classes so this is short. When we had a sub and I helped teach her how to make a pinch pot and then continued carve my mug. Our pieces were fired and two have to be re-glazed  as well as the stopper has to be remade smaller.    

Week 8

This week we worked on templates to make mugs with the design of our initials. We had to create our design on a piece of paper in which we used to cut out the clay. As well as a circle for the bottom. Next we learned how to pull a handle. I had to get rid of my first as it was to thin. The handle starts as a ball of clay which you dip in water and pull with your hands. You can make groves and different shapes to fit your hand. When you have the right shape. You can cut the handle from the rest of the clay and lay the top of the handle flat then shape the handle and place the bottom flat. Next week I will will put all of the pieces together to form the mug and start carving the phoenix and my initials.