5 Parker's Blog

Artists Take Risks

I decided to make the tea set reflect the landmarks in Egypt and their historical significance. I chose to make the tea pot in the form of the Sphinx. To make this, I had to use coil building to get it to a certain height. However, I had to use the loop tool to take out a lot of unneeded clay and to make it as hollow as possible. I ran into the trouble of making the sides of the pot too weak. I used extra clay to reinforce wall thickness. One of the biggest problems I ran into was adding the head of the Sphinx to the body of the tea pot, and to make an incision to make the mouth of the Sphinx work as the spout. I took a risk in using slip to attach the head onto the body because slip will not always make a strong connection. I used slip to attach the head and applied pressure to the head to secure a connection. To further assure the connection, I used moist clay to reinforce connection and to smooth out any cracks that could lead to the head falling off. By connecting the head this way, I got to work with the slip more and to understand how to connect two things together with a thing that may not always be able to secure things like glue. Additionally, I was able to practice how to use clay in different ways to smooth out cracks and to make secure connections.

Artists Create Original Art

I wanted to make a tea pot that was different from the traditional round pot. I decided to make the tea set based on historic landmarks, which led me to think about the pyramids in Egypt. I decided to make the pyramid a container for sugar and to make the Sphinx the tea pot since it can function better as a tea pot and hold more tea. I planned to make the tea pot by building a rectangular shape for the body of the Sphinx and then use slip to connect a head for the Sphinx that I had made on the side. I used the serrated scraper to add the detailed stripes on the Sphinx’s head and used pencil to design the area where the nose should be. I made an incision in the mouth of the Sphinx so it could work as a spout. I believed that this could be a new form of making a tea pot then the traditional way of making a cylinder spout. For the pyramid, I chose to build up the pyramid using slab building. Then I used a fettling knife to slice the pyramid in half to make it a lid to lift up and get the contents. I also chose to carve out the designs of the pyramid to show the outline and to show how the pyramids were built with stones by slaves. I wanted to reflect on the construction of the pyramids. When I was making the tea cups, I decided to make the tea ups original by using a modeling tool and engraving hieroglyphics on the handles of the tea cups and the saucer. I also made designs like a Egyptian sarcophagus to show the history behind the landmarks. In planning the pyramid and the Sphinx, I wanted someone to use a tea pot and a sugar container in a different way and to get a deeper appreciation to these real world landmarks.

 

 

Artists Reflect

When first working on the potter’s wheel, I had to take a step back an look at the first artwork that I made. The first thing I noticed was how the walls of the cylinder was curved out of one side, and the body was uneven. I realized that the walls were uneven because of the way I was using my hands and because I was not placing my elbows on my knees to achieve stability and evenness. In another artwork I worked on, I worked on hard clay on the wheel. I thought adding water would make the clay softer like the clay that which we have worked. By stepping back, I learned that using clay that is really dried out and hard is not ideal for the wheel. From taking these breaks, I learned how important it is to know what clay you are using and how the way one performs the fundamentals (hand positions, wheel techniques, etc) can make an impact on the artwork.

 

Artists Solve Problems

When I gained more practice and experience with the potter’s wheel, I noticed how I was able to make the walls of the artworks more even. I also noticed how I was able to move and form the artwork with more ease than I could have at the beginning. With the ability to shape the artwork, I was able to increase the height of the cylinder.

 

Artists Develop Art Making Skills

When creating the bowls for the empty bowl event, I learned the process of creating a bowl by using an existing bowl as a mold. I started by cutting out the outline shown below. From there, I placed plastic foil around the existing bowl and placed the clay outline inside the existing bowl. I continued to smooth out the outline and made it to form the shape of a bowl. The problems that I faced was enforcing it and making it stronger. I kept adding more clay until the bowl, however, I had to scrap the bowl. Even though it was not a success, it was an interesting new way to make the bowl and structure its form. Part of the method involved reinforcing my ability to smooth out the surface of the bowl. I also learned the Lizzlot Summerfield building technique. This process required me to make a square template with four sides and cut and fold the clay to form a box-like shape. The problem that came up was the constant need to smooth out cracks and make the clay so it could maintain the structure of the piece. It reaccuanted me with the fettling knife, which was used to cut out the template and fold the cut-out template to make the Lizzlot Summerfield form.

 

Artists Plan

When making the second bowl for the empty bowl event, I planned on making it wide so that it could store more inside. If this bowl was to be given to charity events that sponsors food drives, I wanted to make sure that it would serve a good purpose and have enough space to store food or other contents. I made the bowl with the idea that it was going to a charitable organization. I made the second bowl using the traditional coiling method. When using this method, I made sure to start out with a large, stable base. I continued to use large coils to build up the structure of the bowl and to increase the size. I focused on making sure that the bowl had a strong establishment with a smooth texture. I made the smooth texture by scoring the clay and smoothed it with a rubber rim. When choosing glaze colors for the Lizzlot Summerfield artwork, I planned on using lighter colors in a pattern that emphasizes the colors. One color would be on the outside of the shape that was glazed with the other color. I chose colors that would accentuate each other.

 

Lizzlot Summerfield project has blue glaze that complements the purple glaze

 

The bowl was made for size and to be sturdy for any particular use.

1. Although I did not ask for much input from other students in creating the shuttle sculpture, I did get a lot of inspiration from the ideas of others. When we rotated and drew different ideas that were involved in the subject matter, I saw many drawings reflecting ideas of technology such as computers, phones, and new forms of technology that offsets older technology. It gave me some idea of how to use the shuttle to represent the similar ideas of advancement. As an art community member, I participated in offering ideas on different subject matters. For example, I drew a picture of a dome building to reflect art history, hopefully offering an idea to someone else.
2. I am hoping that the artwork will convey the idea of progression in technology. I am using the depiction of the space shuttle as a major technological advancement. I thought about how the history of the shuttle and how it was a major step in human history to create that idea of advancement. The artwork expresses my appreciation for history and technology, and what can be created in the future.

The craftsmanship of an artwork affects the meaning to the viewer by making the viewer consider the background of the artwork. For example, the craftsmanship of a Greek ceramics work that projects a scene in Greek mythology can make the viewer of the artwork think about the religion and stories of Greek gods and culture. A viewer can visualize the culture and societies through the artwork. A viewer may take the craftsmanship of an artwork and consider the culture that is behind it. In many Greek artworks, especially those in ancient times, the culture behind the society is considered when looking for the meaning.

My experience of soft slab tripod building taught me to go slow when trying to make the bottom of the mug that was made using the soft slab tripod technique. When making the bottom of the mug, I had to wrap the bottom of the mug while keeping three legs to provide foundation to the mug. This was challenging because several times the bottom of the mug will get swallowed up and then a new slab would need to be created. Once the bottom of the mug was created, I had to connect it by putting additional clay on the inside of the mug. This was a new experience working with the white earthenware clay because it is tougher to handle and can be challenging when assembling objects like mugs.

 

When doing sgraffito on the mug, I learned that sgraffito requires a vision when making the design. On the mug, I attempted to make the knight and emblem for the UCF Knights. What I had to do was make sure that I saw what parts needed to be carved out to make the emblem more clear. For example, to make “UCF” clear, I had to carve the areas that would result in the letters to be projected clearly. Making the knight on the mug was also challenging. I made the knight while making sure that the yellow orange under glaze outlined the figure. If I were to do it again, I would draw out a plan for the design because it would be easier to know what areas should be carved out. It would help with outlining and projection certain objects. This would help to know what areas should be white and which areas should remain the color of the under glaze.

I used scraffito to make the designs on the mug. The white is to show the design of the emblem while the orange accentuates the design.

 

No artwork can be truly completed without constant persistence. Persistence allows for artists to make new revisions and make the artwork look better. For example, to make the shoe look better at the toe area, I had to use the paddle to better form the structure of the shoe. There are also certain artworks that will require multiple attempts and frustrating efforts. Persistence is required to make the artwork better and to make it support itself.

 

Develop Craft

I explored the slab rolling technique and the coiling method. I used the slab rolling technique to make the foundation of the shoe. To do this, I outline the bottom of the shoe to the flatten clay and cut it out with a fettling knife. After that, I used the coiling method to build the body of the shoe. I also had to use the serrated edge scrapper and the rubber rim to smooth out the cracks on the shoe. I used the paddle to adjust the alignments of the shoe on the sole and at the front of the shoe.

I built the shoe using the coiling method. From the foundation, I coiled to make the structure of the shoe. It required me to close up the coil closer together to close up the shoe. From there, I smoothed out the shoe and made designs to it, as well as cut out the part of the shoe where the foot would enter. When attaching the coils, I scrapped the bottom of the coil and the top of the last coil to make a stronger connection.

Problem Solving

It was challenging to make the designs on the shoe, especially the area of the shoe where the laces are usually located. To fix this, I used applique to make the part of the shoe with the laces. I also found that the front of the shoe did not look like a normal shoe, where the toes are covered. It was too flat. I fixed this using a paddle to reform the area to make it look more like a normal shoe.

I had to use perseverance to create the sculptural form. Many of the coils I made had to be remade because they were too small or too weak. I had to rethink how to make the coil. I discovered that I had to use my palms to make stable coils for the structure of the shoe. I had to rethink on how I would make the coils. I also had to rethink on how I would make the designs on the shoe. For example, I used engraving to make the design on the back of the shoe. This led me to make better designs that correlated with the shoe.

Paddles were used to fix the shape and body of the shoe.

I used applique to form the part of the shoe where the shoe laces would usually be.

Serrated edge scrappers, rubbing rims, and modeling tools were used to smooth out the shoe and make designs.

Glazed Pinch Pot

Height: 4 inches

Diameter: 4 1/2 inches

 

Glazed Coil Bowl

Height: 2 inches

Diameter: 6 inches

 

 

 

Toothbrush Holder

Height: 5 inches

Diameter: 3 inches

 

 

 

 

Soap Dish

Height: 2 1/4 inches

Length: 6 inches

Width: 4 inches

 

 

 

Nesting Form

Height: 8 inches

Diameter (bowl): 11 inches

Diameter (First Pinch Pot): 7 inches

Diameter (Second Pinch Pot): 3 inches

 

 

 

Vase

Height: 5 1/2 inches

Diameter: 7 inches

 

 

Couch Potato

Height: 6 inches

Width: 5 inches

Length: 6 1/2 inches

 

 

 

 

2 Cups with Handles- Scale Mug

Height: 4 1/4 inches

Diameter: 3 1/2 inches

 

 

 

 

 

2 Cups with Handles- Red Mug

Height: 4 1/4 inches

Diameter: 3 1/2 inches

 

Elephant Teapot

Height: 5 1/2 inches

Diameter: 6 1/2 inches

 

Question 1:

I believe that the five artworks that best demonstrate my growth are the Coil Bowl, the Vase, the Couch Potato, the 2 Cups with Handles, and the Elephant Teapot. The Coil Bowl represents my first attempts at coil building. I started with a circular base. Then I made my first clay coil and attached it to the base. From there, I made several coils and attached them on top of one another to make the body of the coil bowl. Through this process, I had to add some clay to reinforce the structure of the body. When there were serious gaps or cracks in the inside or outside of the bowl, I would apply some clay to seal it and reinforce it’s integrity. After making the bowl, I realized that I would have to improve my craft making skills to make the coils stronger for other artworks. The Vase was another project that required me to use the coil building method. In this project, I had gained a better understanding of how to do coil building. I started out with a circular base. I then placed the coils to from the body of the vase. The challenging part of this project was that I had to structure the body and lip of the vase with a template that I made. The template resembled the form of a Greek vase. In this project, I improved my methods by scrapping the bottom of the coils and the top of the previous coil with the serrated edge scrapper. This formed a better connection before I smoothed the two coils together. When looking at the Vase, one can notice how the Vase begins to curve at the top. The lips are curved and the body is also. I was able to make the coils curve. This project allowed me to improve my skills in developing crafts with coil building and tested my ability to persist in improving the structure of the artwork, especially when having to make the lips. When creating the Couch Potato, I had to work with slab building. The first thing I had to do was to make two slabs. I made them by wedging the clay in the wedging table. Then I rolled them out using the slab roller. I made sure that the slabs were sturdy. I used slip to attach the clay slabs together to get the outline of the couch. This process required me to make sure that the slabs were well connected. From there, I used large amounts of clay to make the cushions and seats of the couch. Finally, I made the potato that accentuates the idiom Couch Potato. I made the potato by making two pinch pots. I combined the two pinch pots with slip, making a hollow potato that would rest on the couch. To make the couch hollow I made an insertion at the bottom of the two side cushions on the couch. When doing this project, I realized that one should account for the weight to make sure it is not affected when firing. This project also open my eyes to design and observation. When making the couch potato, I created a couch that had similar qualities and color to couches that are in the real world. I also made sure to use caramel glaze because it was the best glaze color for a potato. The idea was to make the Couch Potato represent the idea of laziness.  I began to observe how to best design my work to give it the proper glaze and the proper form of the artwork. This idea was represented in the creation of the 2 Cups with Handles. On the first mug, I started with a circular base. Then I wedged some clay and rolled it out in the slab roller. Before connecting the slab to the base to form the body of the mug, I rolled out a scale design. Once connected on the base, I formed a thick handle. I also formed the lips of the mug to curve down so it’s easy for someone to drink out of it. I was able to use what I learned from making the Couch Potato to assure that the body of the mug was not weak and did not crack, and that it was able to be secured to the base. After the mug was fired, I decided to add warm color patterns on the scales and lips. I used Red, Maize, and Pumpkin glaze and created the pattern that is presented. I felt like this mug was a reflection on my ability to stretch and explore different methods of glazing and embellishing. Following the same processes, I made the second one with Brick red and Coal black glaze to look similar to a old fashion wooden mug. In making the Elephant Teapot, I felt I had combined all these behaviors and enhanced them. To make the Elephant Teapot, I used coil building and made sure that the body had a smooth texture. After creating the round body, I used applique to create the distinctive characteristics of an elephant. For example, I used applique by attaching the ears of the elephants. I also used applique to make the tusks of the elephant as well as the trunk, which serves as the spout. I also used carving techniques by using the loop tool and the modeling tool to carve out the eyes of the elephant, and to assure that the lines of the eyes were straight and even. The Elephant Teapot demonstrates the growth because it demonstrates the improvement of how I develop crafts, how I envision certain aspects such as the features of an elephant, and how I observe and connect different aspects of the world into art. For example, the elephant tea pot is related to the natural world. After attempting new techniques and learning from failures, I believe that I have grown in these areas of ceramics.

 

 

Question 2:

If given the choice of redoing one of the artworks, I would redo the Nesting Form. Looking at the Nesting Form, I would have pinched the large pinch pot so the lips of the pinch pot are flared out more to resemble the lips of the coil bowl that serves as the base of the Nesting Form. I would have also improved my methods on making the last pinch pot that rests at the top of the Nesting Form. When looking at the pinch pot at the top of the Nesting Form, one can notice that the lips are not precise. They are bent uneven. I would have also smoothed out the inside of the pinch pot. I would also work to make the lips flare out so all of the components have lips that are flared out. The serrated edge scraper and the rubber rim could have been used to smooth the body of the pieces and remove any cracks. I could have also used a paddle to shape the body of the Nesting Form. For example, I could have used the paddle to reshape the top pinch pot to have a better structured body.  I would have also liked to complete the project by having it bisque fired and later glazed fired. If I were to redo this project now, I would use coil building to make the base (the bowl) and then pinching for the two corresponding pinch pots. I would have taking the size and shape of the lips and body into consideration to make a nesting form that was able to stack inside more, and not have any parts that were sticking out too much. I would have also chosen to put an embellishment on the Nesting Form such as incising or sgraffito.

When watching the video on the proper ways to work with glaze, there were skills that I had used in the past along with skills that I will adapt. I was familiar with the tip regarding shaking the glaze before use. I was also familiar with keeping record of which glaze were used in a project. One of the tips that I found useful for the future was the idea of putting on a rubber band so the foot of the object is clean. I was familiar with the idea that the foot should be clean so the object can be identified, but I never considered using a rubber band to assure that the foot would be clean. I was also introduced to the fan and hake brushes. These brushes allows the artists to make long, fluid strokes to the pot. As I go on glazing the mugs, I will take some of these tips to assure that the mugs will have plenty of glaze on it so there is no orange residue from the initial firing.

 

Keeping the foot of the base clean makes identifying the artist easier. It will also prevent the foot from sticking to the kiln and ruining the overall structure of the object.

I had never used the fan and hake brushes for any glazing projects. If I get another chance to glaze a project, I intend on using these brushes.

I did not consider using a rubber band to keep the foot of an object like a mug clean. By using a rubber band, it would be easier to glaze the object without having to worry about putting any on the foot.

 

 

I have completed my mug, which consist of a square pattern throughout the body. I worked to create a color pattern with the glaze. My goal was to have all of the square tiles glazed with different colors. I used Maize, Pumpkin, and Red glaze. I wanted to make a colorful glaze pattern and I decided to use warmer colors such as the glazes listed. The red glaze was used first, followed by Maize and finally Pumpkin. I was very happy with the firing results. I had made sure that there was enough glaze on the scales and that the glaze did not interfere with other glazed scales.

 

I chose to do my square patterns with Maize, Pumpkin, and Red glaze. I chose to do a pattern consisting of warm colors. Through every three square tiles, the glazes were added as follows: Red, Maize, and Pumpkin.

 

As one can see, there is a pattern throughout the mug. It may look scattered, but there was a planned pattern in mind.

After being glaze fired, the mug had a well structured color pattern. Each color glaze was well-fitted to the scales and there was no interference (glaze being in contact with other glaze).

When preparing and rolling the slabs, I had many issues. One of the problems was when the slab would get affected by the rug. There were times when the rug overlapped on itself, causing the clay to not roll into it’s needed shape. I made sure that the rug was properly set so the slab could be rolled straight. Another issue that slowed me down was the thickness of the clay. At times, the clay would turn out to be too soft and malleable that it would crumble or fall apart when I would try to get it in the cylinder form. I fixed this by making sure that I got clay that was not too soft and not too tough. I also rolled the clay out at the wedging table, but did not roll it out too much that the clay would be too flat. Through these challenges, I learned how to make the slabs adequate for the mug. I also got additional practice on how to use the slab roller. I am now able to make slabs without causing any cracks and without the slab being too weak to make a stable structure for the mug.

After making the base and structure of the mug, I focused on making the texture of the mug smooth. This required me to use tools such as the rubber rim to smooth the cracks. Even when I was first constructing the mug, I had the texture in mind. I wanted to make sure that the mug was smoothed out and even in structure. I used the bevel tool to cut out equal amounts of the ends of the slabs. By doing this, I was able to give the mug a smooth texture with an even body. If I had not done this, someone could feel the uneven structure.

Making and using handmade objects are important in our world because we use and produce things that require a container. Using a handmade mug elevates the experience of drinking a hot because there is a sense of satisfaction in using something that was made by yourself. It can also bee satisfying to make a product that normal people would buy at a store. The idea of saving money and the idea that you are using something that was made by your own hands creates an emotional satisfaction, especially when you give it as a gift where it has significant value because the handmade object was made with love for the other person.