Turtle
Red Earthernware clay, Glaze
2.5″ x  6″ x 5″

Elisabetta Gonzaga
Red Earthernware clay, Glaze, Terra Sigillata
14″ x 6.5″ x 5″

House
Red Earthernware clay, glaze
11.25″ x 6.5″  x 6.5″

Fletcher
Red Earthenware clay, glaze
3″ x 5″ x 5″

Flower Tripod
White Earthernware clay, glaze
5″ x 3.25″ x 3″

I communicated my house to viewers by having four different states on each side representing where I have lived. The artwork has an impact to those who have moved a lot or traveled to different places. After that, I made a turtle to create emphasis on global awareness since some sea turtles are either endangered or critically endangered. This is why I glazed a red heart on top the shell. I had to solve many problems with my portrait because I messed up the facial features, and I had trouble with the chin and neck being to thick. Overall, I learned a lot from that project because I had no idea how it was going to turn out since I was struggling. My next project I tried to think out of the box and continue to push my boundaries. I created a “Fletcher” sculpture with arrows and coils wrapped around the letters because my last name means arrow maker. It was difficult to connect the letters and coils, but they turned out very well. On one of the technique Tuesdays, I made a three legged pot to further my art making skills. I think I have grown as an artist because I can create original art, solve problems, learn new techniques, and communicate my artwork to the viewers.

I would try to redo my portrait just because I was having trouble and know I could do better after doing it once. I would try to smooth out the portrait more with the rubber rib. I would, also, try to keep wetting down my project because it got hard to fix or smooth the clay. I would adjust the neck and chin to make the head looking completely up since it’s tilted downward a little. Lastly, I would try to fix some of the facial features and make them more realistic.

This week, I learned a new technique of underglazing with using stencils. I started with a light yellow and ended with a dark green layer. Each layer, I placed down a stencil to reserve that layer’s color with a design. After this project, I finished my Fletcher sculpture, and its getting fired. So, I decided to start a college theme project. First, I made a marquette of a Embry-Riddle hat because I’m going to college there, and I wanted to experiment with the lettering and form. The day after, I started my new project by getting a slab, circular bottom and added coils progressively towards the inside to get a round top. I will make the visor part with using a slab, and I will either carve the letters on or make 3-D ones.  I’m excited about this project and glazing my sculpture because I believe they will turn out well.

New technique of using underglaze with stencils

Marquette of Embry-Riddle hat

Coiling the hat

Sketch of my current project

The house I fixed the roof

After the neck was fixed

I would say my two stongest areas are original art and planning. Right now, I’m working on a sculpture of my last name (Fletcher). I connected the letters around in an oval and woved coils between the letters to make it look sort of like a basket. I’m going to make four small arrows since my last name means arrow maker. On each arrow, I’m engraving the first names of my family including myself. Before this project, I looked through lots of ceramic’s magazines to get an idea of what to do. I, also, made a couple of sketches and a marquette. I would say my two weakest areas are solving problems and global awareness. I try to solve problems especially when the roof of my house wasn’t fitting. Some times, I try to attempt to solve a problem, but need some assistance especially when I messed up the neck on my bust. When I researched the current project, I took some inspiration from some of the sculptures in the magazines. I try to understand other artwork, but I would say I need to look more outside of class to make myself a better artist. This quarter, I will try to solve problems on my own unless it’s absolutely neccessary, and I will  look more outside the classroom since I can write and try to understand other artists.

Vessel that has an interesting foot
Stem Vase with Incised and Painted Design
1000-300 BC
Thailand
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/37407?sortBy=Date&where=Thailand&what=Clay&ft=*&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=4

Vessel that uses line to embellish the form
Bottle
14th century
Thailand

http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/37618?sortBy=Relevance&where=Thailand&what=Clay&ft=*&offset=0&rpp=50&pos=32

Vessel that emphasizes texture
Small Vessel with Globular Body
500 B.C.
Thailand
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/37618?sortBy=Relevance&where=Thailand&what=Clay&ft=*&offset=0&rpp=50&pos=32

I selected these pieces because they were all different looking vessels from Thailand that emphasize either texture, line, or the foot. I learned that on the metropolitan museum website, you can use the public domain pictures because your given permission to use them only if you give them credit.

Finished work of Elizabetta Gonzaga

Makeshift bow my dad made

Sketch of my next project

I finished up my sculpture of Elizabetta Gonzaga and started to browse through the magazines to get an idea for the next project. After I browsed, I decided to make a centerpiece representing strength as a family. Family, to me, has a foundation that’s strong and won’t separate if you continue to bond together. First, I will have a foot to represent the foundation and have the letters of my last name cut to form a circle. I, also, want to include arrows around the last name, or make individuals ones to put in the middle kind of like an umbrella holder, or do both. The arrows will represent my last name, Fletcher, because we are the arrow makers. It’s kind of ironic since my family likes to shoot the bow, and my dad made a makeshift bow out of cord and a PVC pipe. I sketched a couple of versions in my notebook, so I could visually see it instead of imaging it. I’m interested in seeing how the sculpture will turn out in the coming weeks.

Front view of facial features and hair

Side view of the wavy hair

Back view of the head and still connecting the head band

This week I had to collaborate with my table to make the nose and mouth. The nose, for me, was really hard because the face was dry and kept cracking. After water was added, it made it easier to sculpt the nose, but I still asked for feedback from my group to make sure the features looked realistic. Next, I didn’t know how to make the hair, but I new I wanted to use slab pieces. I just tried experimenting with using thin pieces in order to get a little wave, but also to get the hair behind her shoulders.  I connected the thin pieces using the serrated edge scraper to get a strong connection in between each slab. After that, I constructed the top of the head by using slabs as well because I still wanted the top of the head to look like the start of the hair. With doing this, I left a small gap by the forehead that I later filled in with clay to give the hair a little volume. All in all, I had to just go with flow and experiment on the facial features and the hair.

I have learned a new technique of sculpting although it has been hard sometimes. For instance, I built the neck straight up instead of a slant from the back. This made the neck very wide, so I  had to cut out the back of the neck to replace it with a slanted slab. The peer progress critique, also, gave me an idea on what to accomplish next and what other people were doing for their fabric. As I was learning the new technique, I had to communicate with my peers and watch the video a couple times especially for the neck, chin, and head. Although the music from the video is repetitive, the videos have helped to visually see what to do; I think it would be a lot harder if we were looking at step-by-step pictures. Consequently, the videos skip some minor details like the chin even though the video was labeled neck/chin. Sometimes, also, it’s a little too fast, but I can get the overall picture watching it a second time. Right now, I’m working on the back of the head first because I had to let the chin dry a bit before putting the front on.

I was going to make my turtle shell by connecting two pinched pots, but I wanted a flat surface for the foot. So, I made one pinch pot with the foot being a circular piece. Also, I was going to connect the legs, tail, and head on the outside of the shell, but I decided to cut holes in the shell to get a better connection. My completed turtle demonstrates my growth because I made and enclosed form by using a pinch pot and a slab piece. I had to think about how to make an enclosed animal because I’ve never done that. The overall result of the glaze turned out really well. The red heart on the shell against the swampy brown-green helps raise awareness to protect and love the endangered turtles. For the legs, head, and tail, I put three coats of light green on and let it dry. Then, I put three coats of dark green to give the turtle a speckled look. Lastly, I put yellow lines on the shell to give it detail and help emphasize the heart. All in all, I feel like I have grown as an artist and love the result of the glaze.

For my house, I communicated it to viewers by telling a story. Each side of the house represents a state I lived in. I used the fettling knife to cut out each state and I, then, attached them on each side with the background being the exterior of that state’s house. On the state, I carved where I lived with a black dot and the name of the city I lived in. All in all, the house represents my life because each state is a part of my character and my roots that have defined who I am now.

If I were to change something about the house I would reinforce the connection between the roof slabs and apply more coats of glaze. The top of the roof cracked in the bisque firing, so I needed to apply a coil to the top to fully secure the roof. Also, I rushed glazing a little bit because the coats are uneven. I should’ve taken my time to fully apply three coats with each glaze to get them even.

I researched and drew some scenes from nature like a sunset on the ocean. I, also, researched Paul Cezanne’s “Mont Sainte-Victoire” oil painting. This is sought to depict human forms and buildings as simply an extension of landscape. Along with that, I researched Paul Baliker’s driftwood sculpture. He wants you to think of the sculpture as a clock because within twenty four hours somewhere, 3-270 species die. After this, I started to plan a nature-related idea. I decided to make a sea turtle because most sea turtle species are endangered or critically endangered. I want to raise awareness by putting a heart on the shell. All in all, it helped to start researching and planning drawings before making the clay piece.