Week Thirteen

Week Thirteen

                        

This week was presentation week.  I cut it rather fine and was removing work from the kiln the morning of the presentation.  I was thrilled with the above two vases, as the vintage effect that I was trying to achieve was successful.  I poured clear glaze inside the vessels and painted underglaze and clear glaze on the outside.    The matt and gloss effect after firing was very pleasing.  

Week Twelve

Week Twelve

It never ceases to amaze me that a ball of clay can miraculously turn into a cup in a few minutes.

    

I read an article on The Chemistry of Pottery, by Stephen Breuer in 2012.  It answers a lot of questions I have had over the years about ceramics.  For instance, why does clay shrink so much?  Because it has a very high level of water content, apparently.  Water is within the molecular structure of clay.  He says that layers of clay sheets are separated by a layer of water molecules, bonded together by hydrogen.  These bonds are weak enough to be manipulated by force, but strong enough to hold together once that force is removed.  This allows clay to be formed into shapes that remain. The form will shrink 5 % from wet to bone dry condition.  The platelets become closer together forming a stronger structure.

Week Eleven

Week Eleven

This week I read an article called "Technopotters and Webs of Clay: Digital Possibilities for Teaching Ceramics", by Courtney Lee Weida.  In this article Weida explores new methods of teaching and learning ceramics. "The digital possibilities for ceramics included here primarily address documenting ceramic education processes, building and engaging communities and extending studio activities into the web space." (Weida, 2007, p. 1, para. 3)  She mentions that teachers are able to use the internet to plan lessons for students. The Paul Getty Museum has actual lesson plans available for teachers.  As I have discovered myself, the opportunities for students to learn online are many.  I have used Youtube extensively as a resource.  It has a great many demonstrations detailing many aspects of ceramics.

Week Ten

Week Ten

 

Inspired by watching Korean masters, I carved a bowl with flowers.  I will fire it with a celadon glaze.

I received a lot of feedback on this pot.  All comments were very positive.  I had a secret though.  I initially decided to carve the form because it was thrown unevenly and I would have destroyed it.  So by carving, I was able to rescue the situation.