Project No.2: "Glazing and Firing"

Once the shapes were made and i was satisfied with the way it looked i left them to dry slowly.The cup,by half covering the top and letting it dry form the bottom up, because the clay layer was thinner at the top then on the bottom.Same with the plate, i first covered the thinner end and let the thicker part dry first to avoid the breaking.

While the pieces were drying  i experimented with various 1280 degree firing glazes, trying to achieve the colours closer to Northern Lights colours. I made a lot of tests and then chose 3 best glazes and later worked with those.
When the cup,plate and implements were dry i put them into 1040 degrees (bisque) firing. After they came out of the firing i glazed them by brushing on and pouring the 3 different glazes. They were fired to 1280 degrees.

The Set

The cup on the plate

Inside of the cup.

Side of the cup

The plate

I am very happy with how the glaze turned out and the shape of the pieces.
Looking back on all the work process from the beginning i can see how the final pieces reflects on everything that was done.
From this project I learned a lot. I learned more about hand building and i gained more experience with making glazes, firing and all the other techniques.

Project No. 2: Starting to work with clay.

I first made some 3D works and experimented by drawing form those forms into the sketchbook. I played with various ideas and drew different forms.

The most successful 3D piece

One of the 3D pieces and some sketches inspired by that form.

More ideas for the cup shape.

 

After analysing and planning out what form my set would take i moved on to experimenting with clay. I used a stoneware clay which is very good to hand build with. I rolled the clay into various thickness slabs and worked with those for the rest of the project by manipulating and shaping clay in different ways. 

The cup

Cup from the top

Cup on the plate which was still in making process

Making of the plate

I also tried throwing cups on the wheel and then manipulating and changing the shape but it turned out to be very limiting and i went back to hand building.

Project No.2: "Portrait; A Setting"

In the second semester we were given a second project which was based on people’s characters from our class. Each person was assigned with another so we would work in pairs. Before the project started, we were not supposed to know much about the partner each was working with. We were then suppose to create a set consisting of a cup,plate and some sort of impliment inspired by the personality of that person.

At the beginning, the aim was to find out as much as possible about the personality, hobbies and interests of the person and then work with that information for the duration of the project.
I was assigned with a girl I did not know at all, she didn’t know me either. Therefore we got together after college and spoke about each other and things we like. I also carefully observed her for first week of the project. I found out a lot about her but I decided to concentrate on few of her character aspects. She is very energetic, bright, likes to be active, very friendly but she said that she likes to be alone a lot too. When alone she listens to the music and likes to dream, and think about the song lyrics. By sketching and experimenting with different materials I tried to depict those character qualities.

After having that done I looked back on everything and I carefully analysed and chose some sketches that best represented her. The energetic and active side of her was the one that stood out the most.
I chose the energetic, vibrant, flowing and dynamic aspects of her personality as the next point in project development. The associations I had in my head were the northern lights, Tesla coil rays and the flow of fibres within the eye. I then thought of the ways all that could be expressed on paper and I experimented in different ways by sketching and making 3D swatches. After having that done I reflected back on all the work and thought of the ways it could all be transitioned on clay.

Depicting the energy and movement

The associations to Tesla Coil rays, Northern Lights and the movement within the eye.

Experimenting with different medium and trying to depict the flow, dynamic movement and energy in the line.

More experimenting with colours and looking at the notions of Northern Lights.

Discovered Ikuko Iwamoto's ceramic works

Today I was looking up different ceramicist and i stumbled upon Ikuko Iwamotos's works. I found them very fascinating and in fact they really remind me of my object, the spider crab shell.
She makes sculptural as well as functional works. They are all so nice, bumpy, spiky and just so incredibly interesting.
For those who are interested here is her website: www.ikukoi.co.uk 
                                         
 Few of her works:

                                                                   White thorn beakers

                                                           

                                                                        Spiky beakers
Simply Amazing :)

Progressing with the Project No.1 "Starting to experiment with clay"

 Now that I had enough 3D Works done, I could start working with clay. Looking back on my best 3D works i had to explore same ideas by using clay.

For this little experiments I looked at the structure of my branch 3D. I used earthenware clay and rolled little sausage like shapes,then waited till they dried to shape them like little branches.To join them I scored and slipped them together.

  

 Here I used porcelain. I looked at the rolled and dry leaf structure in this experiment. I used porcelain because it expresses the fragility very well. When leafs dried they are very fragile and it is visible. Also it was fired to a very high temperature so when it came out of the kiln it was not porous at all, which is obvious by looking at it.    

 Again using porcelain but this time it was fired at a lower temperature so it is still porous. The idea of this experiment is taken from both my leaf 3D structure and paper straw one.

 Here I used earthenware clay. I made tube like shapes by hand and joined them together by scoring and slipping. This work might not look like it but I made it functional. I just really wanted to make something functional. It is sort of a vase. For the structure I looked at the branch and paper straw 3D sculptures.

Continuing with the project and making 3D objects.

 I was happy with my second branch idea and its structure, so I started working in that way but by using other materials.

                                       Here I used paper straws and a string to tie them together

                      It took so much time making that one,but I was very happy with the outcome.
           

There were few other experiments I made. One of them is similar to above idea and other ones are just experimentations.

Here they are:

                                                                Rolled and dried leafs

                                                      Tinfoil cones tied together with wire

                                                    Some dried flower's bud tied with thread.

                                                         Dried leaf stems stuck together.

                              Sort of an impression of the object. broken and shaped kebab sticks.

Project No.1: "Next Stage; 2D observation and making 3D objects"

Once the object was chosen, the task was to observe it well and experiment. First of all I did different sketches and observations to get more familiar with the object.
Afterwards by using different materials I had to make several 3D works of my chosen objects.

Here they are:

                                                                                                   The first 3D that I made.

                                           I collected a lot of branches and sharpened them.Then i
                                                       joined them together with a wire.


After the critique I was advised to redo the 3D by using the same material and idea but joining branches in a different way. I decided to shape it in a way so the object made would reflect the same sharp and pointy look of the original crab shell.

                                            I tried to keep the shape and express the sharpness.