Jennifer Black 26
Unit 1
Face
I started with a ball of clay that I rolled into an oval-like shape to resemble an elephant's head. I created the large ears by molding the clay into a thin layer, and then I scored and slipped it onto the head. Once I was done, I carved out holes for where the eyes would go. I then added balls to the holes and added eyelids. To make the trunk and tusks I rolled out the clay into tubes and scored and slipped them to the head. Once I felt I was done, I destroyed it b/c I didn't see it in my home and I didn't want to waste clay.
Stamp
This year when I decided to make my stamp, instead of indenting the clay, I decided to build up on the stamp and slip and score a sun on it. I tested it on my pinch pot and it actually worked:)
Unit 2
Pinch Pot
I have gotten much better at making pinch pots. It was really small at first so I decided to make it a pourer for milk. Slipped and scored the foot and the handle. I underglaze it with white and purple to make it look washed. I fired it and once it came out I added dots with glaze and clear glazed it.
Now that I'm done, I realize I should've done the dots with underglaze, not leaving it for glaze. I also should've done a thicker cote with the white underglaze.
Relief Tile
I wanted to make my relief tile ocean-themed with a starfish. I started by flattening clay on the slab roller
Animal Sculpture
For the animal sculpture project, I wanted to make a skunk. I started with an oval piece of clay that I attached the legs to by scoring and slipping. Once I got the desired shape, I attached the head and added the eyes and mouth. After, I added the bushy tail and ears ad began creating the fur. I didn't like how it came out and decided to destroy the project because I didn't want to waste clay on a piece I wouldn't use.
Unit 3
Reference:
Plan:
I want to capture the ocean with the glaze on the swirls for this piece. I like the smaller swirls and dots.
Outcome:
I got a bowl covered in pantyhose to use as a base that wouldn't be sticky. I took my time rolling out clay to use as my spirals. As I went, I used the prerolled spirals to slip and score together on my piece. Once I finished adding the spirals, I added dots to the areas with holes. I smoothed the whole piece so there were no little holes while also leaving the swirl design on the inside. Once I fired the piece I glazed it with Teal Next Time, Blue Yonder, and Cotton.
Improvements:
I am sad with how the glazes turned out on this piece. I was expecting the teal to be much lighter and the blue to be less baby. The colors themselves aren't horrible, but together they look awful. Next time, I'll know which glazes to use instead.
Coil Bowl
Practicing the Wheel
Plan:
Use the skills I learned from Mrs. Thompson last year to make cute mugs.
Outcome:
I tried to use my memory at first to figure out the wheel, but I quickly realized I needed much more of Mrs. Thompson's help. She instructed me to master cylinders, but I still tried to make the funky mugs. Once I realized that was a fail, I decided to use her advice and keep making cylinders and practicing coning up and down. I tried to make a bowl, but The top had a big lump in it so I had to make it a short cat dish instead. Trimming has been kind of difficult. With Mrs. Thompson's help, I'm able to make a sturdy foot.
Improvements:
Some of my first pieces are much too thick now that I look back on them. I should've tried to pull up and thin them out more. My feet were almost level with the bottom of the piece, now the piece doesn't touch the table it's placed on.
Glazing + Midfire Glazes
Plan:
I looked up midfire techniques to apply to my pieces.
Outcome:
When I used the midfire technique, it came out cool, but didn't drip as much as I wanted it to. Lots of the colors I used didn't come out how I wanted them to, most were too dark.
Improvements:
They are glazed evenly!
Cute Star Bowl
Reference:
Progress:
