Start of a New Semester


  Sometimes it comes around just too fast. I am taking two courses this semester, Introduction to Hand Building/Ceramics and Jewelry 1. Both classes are on Thursdays, which means I only have to drive in one day a week, unless I go in for some lab time, which is likely.


Intro to Hand building


 This is going to be a totally different experience from ceramics on the wheel. Our first assignment is to create two pieces simultaneously, each piece a minimum of 26 inches high. Yes, 26 inches! That is huge, especially when creating something in clay. We are then told you really have to make it 28-29 inches high... to take into account the shrinkage that happens when you fire the clay. This is daunting, have you ever really noticed how high that is? And to make two of them! 


 The technique used is that of coiling. The clay is rolled under your hands into a long strip of coil, then laid down on a base tray, and that is turn is set on top of a banding wheel, which allows you to turn the project as you are working on it. 


Our instructor, Tamara, gives us two lists of words, one of body parts and the other of plant parts. Nothing like the word foot or hand, oh no, things like waist, thigh, neck, heel, limb. And then the other list had words like branch, bulb, leaf, vine, tuber, etc. 


Well, I won't go in to the convoluted thought process that finally produced an idea, but let's just say it was excruciating. Things like neck... well, can it be a verb? Necking. Ok, maybe that will work. 


I eventually decided (after seeing what some of the other students came up with) to create a base that that has undertones of a thick male neck. Not really too attractive, I think! But... oh, well. 


Then second piece is a bulb shaped bowl which will sit in the base of the neck, I hope to eventually set this out in my flower garden as a garden ornament. I just hope I like it enough to want it somewhere where people will see it. 
At the moment it is a scary proposition.


Remember, each of these pieces have to be 28-29 inches tall, both... not together. 


We practice the art of coiling the second week, the third week we started on the actual project. 


It took me about three hours to coil a pot around 10 inches high. Sigh. 








Jewelry 1


Our first weeks assignment is to draw at least 10 designs for a broach or necklace. After a slow start I finally manage to get going and end up with over 20 ideas. 


The goal Anya, our instructor, has given us is to learn how to use a hand saw, piercing and texturizing metal. We are to have two layers of metal, each to complement the other in some way. 


My piece will have all those goals, and I have to say, sawing even copper (which is a fairly soft metal) is not as easy as it sounds. Cutting a straight line, or even a curve takes some practice. 


We choose our design, and start work. My piece will  be made from copper and will eventually have several holes cut out of it, the bottom layer will be a red patina made by heating the copper and on the top layer I will use liver of sulfur to make it black/grey.


Midway in the project and I don't like it too much. Hopefully when finished it will look better.