There is a proverb that states, "Practice is the best master." Over the course of the semester that I have been in ceramics this year, the main goal I have been focusing on is practice. Practice is necessary in order to improve a skill or hone an ability. As this is only my second semester in ceramics, I believe that many hours of trial and error are what is best for me to improve my abilities as a ceramicist. One specific element that I have been practicing and experimenting with this semester is glaze; how it has the ability to transform and enhance projects because my ability to make perfect projects is still faltering. Many of the pieces I created this year have the unifying theme of glaze techniques.
To begin, I have many projects that utilize glaze to enhance their form or to distract from mistakes. I made a small bowl glazed with clear on the outside and cobalt on the inside. On the outside of the project there are three dimensional textured flowers with cobalt glaze in the lines of the texture. I also have made a wheel-altered vase that has a wide belly and a narrow neck. At the lip of the project, the lip was molded to create a wavy appearance. the lip is glazed in shadow green that drips down the side of the project. I have a vase that is glazed in clear that has waves indented into the belly. the indents are glazed in cobalt. Finally, I have a small cylinder glazed in clear with math symbols stained onto the belly. All of my projects are relatively small and tend to have uneven sides.
All of these projects were created using the wheel and some were also enhanced with handmade elements. I made each of the projects on the wheel during one class period. I would leave them uncovered overnight and the next day they would typically be dry enough to foot. After footing, I let them dry in my locker uncovered for a few days until they were bone dry. Then I put them in the bisque for two days, glazed the projects, and then finally placed them in the glaze kiln for one day. The glazing process for many of the pieces took more than one day. This is because the glaze or stain would have to fully dry before I could continue to glaze with the next layer of glaze. The bowl with the three dimensional flowers took longer because the process of making flowers was time consuming and a delicate process. I initially glazed the flowers entirely in cobalt and then wiped them off with a sponge so the color only remained in the cracks.
These projects demonstrate a unifying theme of glaze techniques because they all use glaze in a different way. The bowl with flowers shows how glaze can be used to highlight texture and create juxtaposition. Because the cobalt is only in the cracks of the flowers, the texture is made more apparent. The inside is also glazed in cobalt which is a nice contrasting color to the clear outside. The vase with the waves also demonstrates how texture can be highlighted. Finally, the vase with the shadow green highlights the main feature of the vase: the lip. Because it is glazed in the shadow green it stands out compared to the rest of the body that was glazed in clear. Also, the dripping appearance of the glaze creates the illusion of movement and motion. I have learned a lot during this semester of ceramics. My ability to make larger and more quality projects has improved greatly. I wish I were able to take more ceramics to further my skill. Hopefully my abilities as a ceramicist and as a creative individual will continue to develop throughout my life.
To begin, I have many projects that utilize glaze to enhance their form or to distract from mistakes. I made a small bowl glazed with clear on the outside and cobalt on the inside. On the outside of the project there are three dimensional textured flowers with cobalt glaze in the lines of the texture. I also have made a wheel-altered vase that has a wide belly and a narrow neck. At the lip of the project, the lip was molded to create a wavy appearance. the lip is glazed in shadow green that drips down the side of the project. I have a vase that is glazed in clear that has waves indented into the belly. the indents are glazed in cobalt. Finally, I have a small cylinder glazed in clear with math symbols stained onto the belly. All of my projects are relatively small and tend to have uneven sides.
All of these projects were created using the wheel and some were also enhanced with handmade elements. I made each of the projects on the wheel during one class period. I would leave them uncovered overnight and the next day they would typically be dry enough to foot. After footing, I let them dry in my locker uncovered for a few days until they were bone dry. Then I put them in the bisque for two days, glazed the projects, and then finally placed them in the glaze kiln for one day. The glazing process for many of the pieces took more than one day. This is because the glaze or stain would have to fully dry before I could continue to glaze with the next layer of glaze. The bowl with the three dimensional flowers took longer because the process of making flowers was time consuming and a delicate process. I initially glazed the flowers entirely in cobalt and then wiped them off with a sponge so the color only remained in the cracks.
These projects demonstrate a unifying theme of glaze techniques because they all use glaze in a different way. The bowl with flowers shows how glaze can be used to highlight texture and create juxtaposition. Because the cobalt is only in the cracks of the flowers, the texture is made more apparent. The inside is also glazed in cobalt which is a nice contrasting color to the clear outside. The vase with the waves also demonstrates how texture can be highlighted. Finally, the vase with the shadow green highlights the main feature of the vase: the lip. Because it is glazed in the shadow green it stands out compared to the rest of the body that was glazed in clear. Also, the dripping appearance of the glaze creates the illusion of movement and motion. I have learned a lot during this semester of ceramics. My ability to make larger and more quality projects has improved greatly. I wish I were able to take more ceramics to further my skill. Hopefully my abilities as a ceramicist and as a creative individual will continue to develop throughout my life.
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