Blog #6

So far, I'm pretty happy with what I have accomplished thus far. I have made 8 plates, a large serving platter, and a few bowls. I have run into a problem though with my serving platter. I can not dip it in the glaze bucket. So I have to pour in the glaze. Other than that, i haven't really had any problems. As soon as I figure out how to post pictures on here, I will post some of my pieces.

# 5

Everytime I get a chance to see someone else's pottery, I look at how different it looks from mine. I look at how they shaped it, decorated it, glazed it and think about where their inspiration comes from. When I look at Mike's pottery I see all the different textures and shapes that are so very unique to his work. I know that he also does a lot of work with fibers and textiles as well which comes through in his pieces.

Any Suggestions?????

So I walked into the studio this morning with desire to put clay to wheel. I feel almost burnt out. I do enjoy pottery but the past two days I haven't felt like doing much in there. Yesterday all I did was prep my pieces for glazing. Today, I put some decorations on one piece and called it good for the day. Tomorrow I really do want to go in and make a couple plates and maybe a bowl or two; however, I just don't want to make anything today. Is it normal to take a break for a couples days then start up again?

I had some time this moring to really look at my pieces and decide what I liked, didn't like and need to change. My plates need a lot of work. They are heavier than I would like and there is not very much in the way of uniform size. I need to trim more off the bottom of the plates but I get scared I'm going to slice a hole in them. So my plan is to work on making my plates thinner and more uniform in size. My bowls, on the other hand, look pretty much like I want them to. I have had a couple of issues trying to get the shape I want but for the most part, it's going well. My plan is to work on plates for another week then start on mugs with handles and more bowls.

Assingnment #4

So this quarter is the first time that I used a bat to throw with. Previously, I have thrown directly on the wheel and would then proceed to fumble around with how to remove the piece from the wheel. It would result in a piece that would be slightly warped and covered in smudged fingerprints. I have noticed that my pieces this quarter do not develop that goofy warp during the drying process. So basically, this quarter I learned the less I handle it after it is off the wheel, the less problems I have with it.

My Accomplishments Thus Far

I have succeeded in making plates!!!!! They made it out of the bisque kiln with no cracks. that was my biggest worry. So far, I have enjoyed plate making, but I still have a lot to learn about making plates. The plates I have made range in size, I'm working on trying to make a few all the the same size. I have also made a few bowls, a couple small ones and a few larger ones. I plan on working on plates for another week or so then I'm going to switch to mugs(I'm horrible at making handles) and large serving dishes.

My Inspirations

When I sit down at the wheel, I already have an idea in mind for the lump of clay underneath my hands. Sometimes it comes from the bowl I ate my breakfast out of that morning or a picture in a magazine I saw in the studio. Most of my ideas come from thinking about what kinds of pieces I could make that I or other people could use in everyday life. There is nothing a whole lot better than eating an amazing home-cooked meal out of a bowl or plate that was made with your own two hands.

        I'm Sharon and pottery has to be one of my favorite classes I have ever taken. So when the opportunity came for me to take it again, I jumped on it. This quarter I want to make a variety of things; ranging from plates and bowls to serving dishes and coffee mugs. So far I have made 3 plates, and a few bowls. I really want to work on coffee mugs(handles are the hardest part for me) and plates because I haven't made many of either of them. I guess, overall, I'm planning on making pieces I can use in my home.
        Glazing is my favorite part of the class. It means I'm close to finishing my pieces and get to admire all I have accomplished. This quarter I want to use some glazes I do not typically use and maybe use some of the underglazes as well. I'm so excited to see what I accomplish this quarter.