Even though I have only been alive for eightneen out of the billions of years the world has been around, it is apparent to me that there are good and bad things that go on all over. Over the course of many years, light and dark has been used to represent those good and bad events. My work primarily involves a balance of light and dark in the glaze, shape, and texture.
I have a diverse collection of projects. I have made numerous bowls, countless cups, three pitchers, many vases, three teapots, a few lidded projects, and some plates. The progression of my projects can easily be seen when compared together. My first teapot is short, thick, and heavy. The lid is a flat lid. It is glazed in sand with a spiral starting at the lid going all the way down to the base of the project in blue stain. My second teapot is bigger and more proportional. The lid is a knob lid. I sponged on a blue glaze to give the teapot texture and then diopped it in clear. My thrid teapot also has a knob lid. The spout and handle and part of the lid are glazed in celedon and shadow green, then dipped in all in white. The three projects are similar, all being teapots and both conveying my theme of light and dark, however, they show that theme differently. They all show the difference in lightness and darkness between colors, but in different ways. The first teapot shows the theme with the contrast between blue and sand being intertwined together in the spiral. It shows how they connect. The second shows more of the darker colors with hints of light, conveying the idea that one can overpower the other. The third teapot shows a distinct seperation between light and dark with the dark-light-dark glaze of the project.
All of my projects were made on the wheel. Next, a foot ring is carved into the project. Some of my projects needed hand made parts, like the cup, pitcher, teapot, and one of the bowls. After finishing the throwing/footing process and adding any extra pieces, my projects are bisqued. Once they are out of the bisque, I glaze them to show off elements of the project itself, and my theme. Glazing can be done multiple ways. The project can be dipped in a glaze or the glaze can be painted on. Also, a stain can be used to paint a picture on the projects like watercolors. After I am finished glazing, the project is put in the glaze kiln. Finally, the project is complete and shiny (unless, of course, a matte glaze is used). If put on too thick, sometimes the glaze will "crawl," meaning that it spreads out. Also, the glaze could run in the heat of the kiln and pool at the bottom of the project, sticking it to the kiln. If that happens, it must be chipped off the shelf, and then ground off, which leaves an unattractive surface. Sometimes the glaze runs in un-expecting ways. For example, on my pitcher, I had glazed the lip in shadow green and the glaze ran about halfway down the project, looking like it had been poured along the sides. It ended up making my pitcher look better by showing its purpose with the glaze.
My projects are important to my theme because they show that there are two sides to everything. In literature, art, and many cultures, light and dark are often used to represent good and bad. Light has a connotation of good things to people, for example, the sun, whereas, dark is thought of as having bad connotations. My projects, how they are glazed, their shape, and even their texture, show my perception and what I feel about the light and the dark. The majority of my projects show the darker color overpowering the lighter one in color and even in harsh texture. While I often look for the good or the light in many aspects of my life, my projects express my curiosity for the darker parts of life. For me, my ceramics projects are a way of showing the darkness in life that I do not personally experience.
Now that I am in advanced ceramics, I can focus less on making a simple form and more on what my projects mean to me and how it conveys my theme. I’ve noticed a relationship between good and bad in my life personally, as well as in the world around me. Last semester, I tried to convey the lighter side to my theme. This semester, I am trying to show the darker elements and convey them through glazes, texture, and shape. I have recently taken more of a notice to the darker parts of life and that is what is expressed through my ceramics.
I have a diverse collection of projects. I have made numerous bowls, countless cups, three pitchers, many vases, three teapots, a few lidded projects, and some plates. The progression of my projects can easily be seen when compared together. My first teapot is short, thick, and heavy. The lid is a flat lid. It is glazed in sand with a spiral starting at the lid going all the way down to the base of the project in blue stain. My second teapot is bigger and more proportional. The lid is a knob lid. I sponged on a blue glaze to give the teapot texture and then diopped it in clear. My thrid teapot also has a knob lid. The spout and handle and part of the lid are glazed in celedon and shadow green, then dipped in all in white. The three projects are similar, all being teapots and both conveying my theme of light and dark, however, they show that theme differently. They all show the difference in lightness and darkness between colors, but in different ways. The first teapot shows the theme with the contrast between blue and sand being intertwined together in the spiral. It shows how they connect. The second shows more of the darker colors with hints of light, conveying the idea that one can overpower the other. The third teapot shows a distinct seperation between light and dark with the dark-light-dark glaze of the project.
All of my projects were made on the wheel. Next, a foot ring is carved into the project. Some of my projects needed hand made parts, like the cup, pitcher, teapot, and one of the bowls. After finishing the throwing/footing process and adding any extra pieces, my projects are bisqued. Once they are out of the bisque, I glaze them to show off elements of the project itself, and my theme. Glazing can be done multiple ways. The project can be dipped in a glaze or the glaze can be painted on. Also, a stain can be used to paint a picture on the projects like watercolors. After I am finished glazing, the project is put in the glaze kiln. Finally, the project is complete and shiny (unless, of course, a matte glaze is used). If put on too thick, sometimes the glaze will "crawl," meaning that it spreads out. Also, the glaze could run in the heat of the kiln and pool at the bottom of the project, sticking it to the kiln. If that happens, it must be chipped off the shelf, and then ground off, which leaves an unattractive surface. Sometimes the glaze runs in un-expecting ways. For example, on my pitcher, I had glazed the lip in shadow green and the glaze ran about halfway down the project, looking like it had been poured along the sides. It ended up making my pitcher look better by showing its purpose with the glaze.
My projects are important to my theme because they show that there are two sides to everything. In literature, art, and many cultures, light and dark are often used to represent good and bad. Light has a connotation of good things to people, for example, the sun, whereas, dark is thought of as having bad connotations. My projects, how they are glazed, their shape, and even their texture, show my perception and what I feel about the light and the dark. The majority of my projects show the darker color overpowering the lighter one in color and even in harsh texture. While I often look for the good or the light in many aspects of my life, my projects express my curiosity for the darker parts of life. For me, my ceramics projects are a way of showing the darkness in life that I do not personally experience.
Now that I am in advanced ceramics, I can focus less on making a simple form and more on what my projects mean to me and how it conveys my theme. I’ve noticed a relationship between good and bad in my life personally, as well as in the world around me. Last semester, I tried to convey the lighter side to my theme. This semester, I am trying to show the darker elements and convey them through glazes, texture, and shape. I have recently taken more of a notice to the darker parts of life and that is what is expressed through my ceramics.
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