Evan here,

when it comes to my worst moment it has to be building the manipulations project. during this project i built it to tall to quickly to fast and it fell over. i realized that clay can be a jerk some time

when it comes to my best moment it has to be the press mold project. with this project i pushed myself farther then i have before, above and beyond the stipulations of the project. what i learned that i get more fulfillment from working the hardest.

list of projects

-1/2 pound clay project

-30 words, 30 pieces

- drawings of pieces

-4 models

-scale project

-manipulations project

-press mold project

Dave Mykins - last blog assignment

Handbuilding Assignments:

• Build 40 Manipulations objects based on list of 40 words
• Spend entire class period making one small object out of (2 pounds?) of clay
• Create 4 drawings of the small object made in class period
• Fold and cut one of those drawings into an interesting composition and then make 4, 4" x 4" models with bilateral symetry.
• Make a 4x scale-up of one of the 4" x 4" models
• Glaze the scaled-up object
• make a "perfect" box using slab structure method learned in class using body measurements as dimensions
• Build a slab structure that contextualizes 12 of the 40 manipulations assignment
• Build a pedestal for the "perfect" box assignment using the same slab technique that either makes the box look heavy or light
• Glaze all three slab-built assignments
•  Take a natural object and a mass produced, man-made object and build a clay object that combines the two of them in an interesting way.
• Make a plaster press-mold of the clay object and make 8 molds of the object
• Glaze some of the molds in cone-4 glaze and some in raku glazes
• Participate in Raku firing
• Phoenix project
  

Blogging Assignments:

• Being of Being Mindful
• Question for Wayne about "Stratocumulus"
• Question for Wayne about our scaled-up project for critique
• This one

Class Presentations:

• The video on that Japanese artist whose name I don't remember but he made those really awesome stone fountains along with other massive stone sculptures.
• The video on Maya Lin
• The video on Louise Nevelson
• Slideshow of Wayne's work

Worst Moments:

• Finding out all of our first major projects for the class broke in a kiln mishap
• The multiple troubles my fragile pedestal assignment caused me

Best/ enlightening moments:

• The Raku firing was awesome
• Realizing that following an assignment doesn't necessarily mean that I can't be creative, even if I don't really want to follow it. I did end up making something that I probably never would have thought of making if left to do something on my own.
• I enjoyed making my orange-headed cats
• Bringing broken pieces to new life with the last project. I'm proud of the way mine turned out, and that it is possible to salvage broken pieces. also realizing that it's not much different than if it hadn't broke because the piece you had in mind when you started is never the piece that comes out in the end.  

Jenna Bloodough

Well to start things off,

Our first assignment was the questionnaire/essay we had to write introducing ourselves

We had an entire class to create one thing

Then we had the forty words to illustrate

from those words we had to create four drawings

from the drawings we had to cut out a line segment

watch a video on Maya Lin

had to visit the gallery in the lobby to write about Waynes piece

then we had to create four model, things.

after that we enlarged one or two models depending

worked on that for weeks

glazed those with several different techniques

watched them die in a kiln

watched a movie on Louise Nevelson somewhere in here, fabolous

As well as isamu Noguchi

next we create a perfect box with slab techniques

Had a cone 4 glaze test

built a house to hold forty illustrated words

Then we created a pedestal

Mahlon and Wayne presented their work via slide show

afterwards we had to merge an organic and made man object

created press molds

pressed eight molds

Had a Raku firing

all laced together with blogging

to finish it off we had to destroy whatever was not destroyed

and re-attached in a loud way

I think my worst moment was finding out my large piece toppled over in the Kiln. That really upset me because I really adored the way I glazed it. I researched poppies, and tested out different brush strokes so the flowers appeared delicate and involved line work. Not to mention it was interesting to build, the piece was so top heavy so I was certainly proud to have it stable and standing. The one good thing that kept me from being furious was the way the clear glaze came out on that piece, it really didnt add to it in anyway infact it looked rather terrible so that eased the pain. From that though, it all makes sense now why Wayne wasn't too concerned about losing pieces, especially that one because we took quite some time to work on it.

I guess my best moments were after that big piece fell. My favorite video was Louise Nevelson, I really thought she was a great women. In my facebook I even have a quote by her "I always thought, bluntly, that I was a glamorous, goddamn exciting woman. I wanted to have a ball on earth." she was amazing. Aside from that I put together a pedestal that I enjoyed, tried out piping techniques which were fun and then the glitter. You know you did something right when you come home at the end of the day and youre covered in gold glitter. The final project was interesting, it was addicting once you got going you could not stop flocking on glitter-izing a segment. I enjoyed how flashy it could be. I think that project was something I wouldve never done myself unless it were presented to me. The materials used werenot anything I wouldve found, like flocking, and glitter seems so elementary school was much as I love it but Ive found other more 'mature' ways to make something gaudy than glitter. Normally when something breaks if it cant be glued back together, like my big bilateral piece than thats it I wouldve tossed it..not with the final piece, it was broken, you broke it, you remade it. I thought that was a nice ending touch I have to admit.

I feel as though I didnt walk away with a lot of work but to be honest I learned so much from Mahlon and Wayne, more than any other studio. After that big piece broke Nick really put it into perspective for me that Sophomore year isnt about work its about the process and that was where Mahlon kicked in a lot and since Nick said that I just stopped caring about the way assignments ended up but more as to how I worked to get them at the end point. Slab making, the materials such as flocking and glitter, mold making, raku, all new experiences that I have a solid grasp on. I guess ending with that despite how much ive complained about that infamous big piece, I dont really care that it broke I only pin point that as my worst moment because it was pre-realizing what Nick said and because it made me most mad.

Katherine Lin

List of Classwork

-make a small clay sculpture... use 5 pounds of clay?

-make 40 sculptures according to 40 words

-arrange the 40 pieces and make name tags

-make 4 observational drawings based on some of the 40 pieces

-use partial outlines of the drawings to create 4 sculptures out of 4"x4" cubes.

-enlarge one of the 4 cubic products, make two of them. (I made one.)

-learn to make slabs

-make a "perfect" box with three measurements from my body, using the slab technique

-make a container for the 40 pieces that contextualizes each one, using the slab technique

-slip paint & design the enlargement project

-glaze the container and the 40 little pieces

-make a pedestal for the box, make it seem light or heavy

-collect objects of mass production & from the nature

-combine the texture/characteristics of the two objects and make a sculpture for mold making and casting

-Raku glazing & firing

-break the finished pieces from above for the final project

-blogging, including observation from daily basis, ask a question about Wayne's work in the faculty show, a question for the enlargement project and final blogging

-tea party + group crit

Videos Played in Class

-Maya Lin

-Louise Nevelson

-Isamu Noguchi

Other presentations

-slide show of Wayne's works

-slide show of Mahlon's works

Best times:

After saying sorry and good-bye in mind to my pieces, I really enjoyed breaking every single one of them.

Raku firing was fun.

Translating descriptions on the tea packages was fun, too.

And I really enjoy studying people's working process and style. I like it when I see drawings, now I feel I'm able to see a little in sculptures, too!

Down moment:

Someone already told me it's an excuse, but I think I process slower when it comes to sculptures. It doesn't feel good just staring a the assignment sheet and produce a piece without feeling thoroughly inspired. A better image of my works would come to my mind after the project is over. Good thing it's an intro level course so the main thing is getting to know clay; and I did learn a lot about this material...

To be honest, my worst moment is when I start to compare the involvement I have in my two sophomore studios. The other one is Intro to Painting; Wayne, would you like to share the transition experience you had between these two dimensions?

List of Assignments By Adam Biggar

Forty words
Four elements
pedestal
Perfect box
chimera
phoenix
12 item box


Best time: the best time that I had in the class was the Raku firing. It was alot of fun to learn how the certian glaze would react to oxidation or reduction. Lots of Chemisty involved and I love Chem.

The Worst: The worst time in the class was when Mahlon and I loaded the kiln and the shelves fell on me. I guess we learn from our mistakes. Next time I gotta be faster. lol

List of Assignments

Kathleen Rabe Final Blog

Projects:

• manipulations project, 40 sculptures using 10 lbs of clay + 4 8x8" drawing
• Blog while you have lunch
• look at 40 sculptures and critique of drawing.
• Cut up drawings at contour lines, make 4 small sculptures using those contours.
• 1/2 pound in-class 3 hour sculpture
• Higby demo on coil building a large form
• make 4X scale sculpture using one of the 4 small contour sculptures
• Higby demo on making tools for/applying surface decoration using black/white slip
• making tools for and decorating the large contour sculpture using black and white slip
• 4 drawings of finished sculpture
• critique on large contour sculpture
• Hibgy demo on no slabroller slab technique, and demo on how to build the "perfect" box
• build a perfect box using measurements from your body
• build a sculpture that "contextualizes" 10 of the 40 objects from the manipulation project
• glaze demo
• glaze box, contextualize project and 10 sculptures
• build a pedestal for perfect box that either makes it look lighter or heavier
• bring in an organic and a manufactured object
• combine the two idea's to make one unified object (solid)
• Mahlon demo on cutting object to make mold
• cut up object to make a press mold
• make a press mold
• press mold 8 objects identical to the first, and 2 more in any form
• glaze one each: black, white, color. Room temp surface one, leave on bisque, glaze two for Raku
• Raku saturday
• Final assignment: Project Phoenix + final blog

Videos + other:

• Louise Nevelson
• Isamu Noguchi
• Maya Lin
• Mahlon's work
• Higby's work

Worst moment:

When Higby demonstrated his slab rolling technique I thought, "Wow, that's really great. It builds a stronger slab and I don't have to buy a crazy expensive slab roller".. then I tried it and realized it takes a very long time. I decided to roll my slabs, and about 4 days in to making my sculpture and constantly babysitting it, it collapsed (Que: Worst Moment). I could have salvaged it, but why? It was bad, it would have been a waste of clay. So Sunday afternoon about 2o hours before it was due I started over using Higby's slab technique. I finished by 2 am and the thing was a beast, it wasn't about to collapse. The situation ended alight, but it took me way longer then it should have.. lesson learned: Just follow directions. And for the umpteenth time in my life: You're not going to defy gravity.

Best Moment:

On the same sculpture we were to decorate the surface with a pattern using black and white slip. Decorating with pattern is something that has never appealed to me, and so at first I was hesitant. I convinced myself pretty quickly to lose whatever preciousness I had given my sculpture and to just do the assignment. The result was wholly inspiring. Letting go of whatever preconceived notions I had about what the surface of a sculpture should look like and just playing around with shape and color gave opportunity for new things to happen. The best advice I was given all semester (or perhaps my life as it pertains so perfectly to me) was "You can only imagine what you already know, and if you only make what you imagine then you will never do anything new".

Arianna

Assignments:

• 40 sculptures (manipulations) of a list of words
• 1/2 pound intense concentration sculpture
• drawings of manipulations
• 4" bi- and asymmetric models from drawings of manipulations
• two 16" sculptures (scaled up version of one 4" model)
• slipworked pattern over 16" sculpture
• clear glaze over 16" bisqued sculpture
• perfect box using Wayne's slab technique
• different slab "box" to hold 10 manipulations
• pedestal for perfect box (play with gravity)
• glaze slab "box" and pedestal
• make solid object for pressmold (organic v man made)
• make plaster mold
• make 8 of press mold objects
• glaze/decorate mold objects in following categories: bisque, black glaze, white glaze, 2 raku, color glaze, cold glaze, one of our choice
• project phoenix
• write this blog

Videos:

• Isamu Noguchi
• Louise Nevelson
• Maya Lin

Presentations/Other:

• Kiln Orientation with Shawn
• Mahlon's work (undergrad and recent)
• Wayne's work  (sample of body of work + Skywell Falls)
• Discussions over tea
• Raku Saturday

Moments:  I hope it's not cheating when I say that my best and worst moments were one in the same.  Coming out of the manipulation "box" project, I found that I was really unhappy with my work.  Not only had most of it exploded in the kiln, but there was nothing that was really drawing me to the material.  I decided to put my heart into the pedestal project and really make something that I liked.  I worked on that pedestal for a long time, making sure everything was perfect.  I was careful with my greenware box, knowing it was fragile.  But then the later it got that night, I began to focus more on the pedestal and started using the bottom edge of my box as a tool.  

That's when I punched through my box.  After the most sickening crunch I've ever heard, I realized that my hand was inside my box.  I stood back, took a deep breath, and immediately started working.  I remember thinking, "I will not, CANnot let this phase me.  Use it."  It took me about 5 minutes to finish.

So, worst moment?  All the frustration I'd felt from the first half of the semester going into that box and therefore breaking it.

Best moment? The proceeding 5 minutes.

Final blog assignment/Cindi Kelly

Videos-
Maya Lin
Louise Nevelson
Noguchi
Slide show-
Mahlon
Professor Wayne

Assignments-
Blogging
Manipulations using 40 words
4 Drawings of Manipulations
Drawing crit
Cut drawings for bi-lateral symetry project
Make 4 small bi-lateral tests
Choose from 4 small tests and make 16" by 16" by 16" large bi-lateral symetry object using the take blobs of clay and press them together method
Make a perfect slab box with measurements taken from our bodies
Make a contextual slab box for our manipulations
Make a slab pedestal for our perfect boxes
Dress our bi-lateral symetry projects with black and white slip
Crit on bi-lateral symetry project with yummy teas
Blending an organic and mass produced object to create a new one
Make a press mold for these objects
Use the mold for 8 objects
Glaze manipulations in black or white glaze
Glaze perfect box, manipulation box, and pedestal
Crit on perfect box and pedestal
Glaze 8 hybrid objects in black, white, color, raku, and cold methods
Raku firing experience
Phoenix project

I have to say that I've had a few worst moments. One was the crit on my perfect box and pedestal. It was such an ugly glaze no one could come up with anything to say about them. Fianlly Professor Wayne came up with "Your pedestal looks like furniture." Hmmmmmm. And I have hated(underline hated) the Phoenix project. It didn't bother me to break up the pieces but I had so much trouble trying to get them to stay together. I also had a vision in my mind and wasn't able to achieve this vision. Sooooo frustrating. And I was really hoping to work in wet clay some more so the Phoenix project was a disappointing final project. What did I learn? Well I guess I learned that sometimes we have disappointments and it gives us a chance to look at how we deal with them. We get a chance to see our shadow self and I have had a long 2 weeks of looking at my shadow self and didn't like it. I have felt bitchy and ugly and frustrated for this whole project and what really felt bad was that I felt out of control of my actions and words. If I offended anyone, please accept my apologies. I am sorry. Whew. Glad that's over and out!

My best moments were working on the box for our manipulations. I felt it was an exciting project where we were able to feel a little freedom in our work. I loved seeing all the different concepts that were born from this project. I thought everyone's creativity shined. I felt a little envious of all the beautiful pieces that came from all the talented clay artists in our class. I also loved, loved, loved our raku moment. It was a really fun and the results were amazing! Thanks Professor Wayne. You are Awesome.

Nick's Final Blog

- Become familiar with web logging in order to work on expression and observation. Also, the biographical questionnaire helped Wayne and Mahlon get a grasp on the class character.
- Make objects that correspond to a list of 40 words. A practice of understanding concept and arrival.
- One class was dedicated to making one object with a small amount of clay. This class was to teach focus and attention to detail.
- Drawings from 4 objects made from the manipulations project. Drawing is an integral part of an artist work as we learned from watching Maya Lin's video.
- Visit the Fosdick to see Wayne's piece after reading his essay and then posting a question on the blog.
- Use the 12x12 drawing to form a sculpture keeping symmetry and asymmetry in mind. This project helped with drafting a project and seeing how to work within confines of building with coils. Also, the manipulations project helped look at the artist’s process in forming a body of work that is cohesive.
- Build a housing unit for the 40 manipulations that we did. The housing work put the small figures into a new environment with the intentions of altering the perceptions of the small objects through installation.
- Handbuild a perfect box from slabs. This project helped focus on precision.
- Build a site or “pedestal” to work with the box. Figured out how to make one object seem heavy or light
- Using one manmade and one natural object connect the object and make a solid sculpture from them. This project helped feed off concept. Definitely, one of the harder projects.
- We then had to make a mold of the sculpture and press mold 8 of them. This helped me work with plaster and reassembly. We then had to make one sculpture using the press mold parts that was different form the original. We then raku fired these as well as used other materials to cover the surface and looked at how they enhanced or changed the piece.
- The last assignment was to break everything and reassemble it. After it was assembled into a new sculpture we had to address the surface.
- Finally, I am writing the last blog assignment.

The worst thing that happened to me during this semester in the ceramics studio was pouring the dry mix of the ^04 gloss glaze into the bucket of water and then realizing it was too watered down. While the gerstley sub may have played a part, the glaze was way to thin to build up a sufficient layer of glaze. I felt bad that the other students’ work turned out differently than they had planned. I guess I’ll stick to precision weighing of everything, especially in large batches.

I thoroughly enjoyed drinking tea during the critiques. It was great seeing Wayne get in the raku groove. I was glad that I was able to look past the idea that I had to have concrete sculptures out of every project. The class became very process oriented for me and I was able to explore many different methods of working towards arrival without worrying what the outcome would be. I learned to think less and work more.

The final project was exciting for me because I'd never worked with hot glue, because I wasn't in foundations. It is a great material. I was able to build sculptures out of objects that I more than willingly smashed(so satisfying, even if i liked the sculptures; its just mud). Unfortunately, my forms ended up looking like animals, maybe even birds as some suggested. It was then pointed out that the project title was the Pheonix project. I was completely unaware, perhaps it was buried in my unconscious. Astonishingly my two final forms echoed ideas that I'd pursued in my four elements project...

Victor D. Franco *final entry*

05.01.10


All assignments:

Bring in basic tools
Autobiographical questionnaire
Being Mindful blog (on-going)
In-class (handful of clay)Time Commitment
40 Maniplations from given words
Four 12' x 12' drawings of slections from Manipulations
Read Wayne's Art and Expectation speech
Go to Fosdick Nelson faculty show and look at Wayne's piece and...
Come up with a question to post on blog for Wayne's piece
Four Elements
Four drawings on 12' x12' of finished Four Elements
Container (Conceptual Box) for 12 Manipulations
The 'Perfect' Box
A site (pedestal)for the 'Perfect' Box
Help Mahlon load glaze/greenware kilns (on-going throughout semester)
Bring in two objects: one natural, one manmade
Drawing of the two objects combinations
Hybrid Sculpture of two objects
8 Press Molds based on final Hybrid Sculpture
Glazing of 8 Press Molds
Attend the Raku firing (see events)
Project Phoenix
The final blog entry

Videos, events, and formal crits/discussions:
Maya Lin
Half-American, half Japenese guy (forgot name)
Louise Nevelson
Mahlon Artist Talk
Wayne Artist Talk
Two Tea Party Crits
The Raku Firing


The MOST DIFFICULT moment:

A combination of five moments: When my Four Elements piece cracked and continued to crack, when I first discovered my 'Perfect Box' was nowhere to be found, when I first discovered my pedestal for my 'Perfect Box' was lost, when Mahlon made me feel stupid with his patronizing attitude (mockingly completing a sentence for me after asking me a question about what I was doing), and when I had to apologize to Mahlon. Most of all, the most difficult moment was having to apologize to Mahlon because I was extremely embarassed for having sent out an angry e-mail to him and other members of the class implying that it was his fault my pedestal was missing. Later on I found out that my pedestal was in a seperate kiln and had been unloaded at a later time. I also realized that Mahlon, like I, had the right to make mistakes. Human errors are the most taxing for me. I dislike failing those around me and I also dislike feeling like I have no control. Surrending my frustration and humbling myself before Mahlon, or it could have been almost anyone, was the worst moment. This moment made me realize further, as I have always known, that I cannot always trust my firey Latino blood (feelings) and that I need to cool down before acting. I tend to be really emotional.


The BEST moment:

When I got to break all my pieces, except for my pedestal (which I will hold on to). This was my best moment because it was very therapeutic. Thank you Wayne. After all the misery, it's over -it hit me then. All this was all very fallible, and very temporary -it was only around to make me learn a few things. We all break...sometimes.

Justine Cruz

Assignments:
Autobiographical Questionnaire
Being Mindful Blog
Time commitment sculpture
40 Small sculptures from words
4 Drawings from sculptures
4 Elements
Container for sculpture
Perfect Box
Pedestal for Box
Hybrid sculpture
8 Press Molds
Project Phoenix
Final Blog

Videos, events, and formal crits/discussions:
Maya Lin
Louise Nevelson
Mahlon Artist Talk
Wayne Artist Talk
Tea Party Crits
Raku Firing

My Worst Moment…would have to be when container for my sculptures, my perfect (not so perfect) box and pedestal all broke! It was disappointing but I learned a lot about the craft of clay and how you really have to work at it to get it to do what you want. I learned that slipping and scoring the very important when building a sculpture!

My Best Moment…was definitely doing the raku firing because I have never done that before so I was wicked excited about that and I was told that we wouldn’t do that at all at Alfred so that was awesome! I also really enjoyed making the press molds I thought the process for that project was really interesting. I feel like I learned the most from that project with drying time and putting the three part mold together, then smoothing it out. The decoration on the press molds I also had a lot of fun doing, so in my final project I wanted those pieces to be a focal point! I have really enjoyed this class and I think it’s funny that the last project was named project Justine!! Even though my stuff broke through the process of firing and such it’s good to be able to break everything and reassemble it in a different way, it’s giving new life to old work. Thanks for a great class!

The List...
Autobiographical Questionnaire
The Being on Being Mindful Blog
Manipulation Assignment
Time Commitment Assignment
Drawings Derived from the Manipulation Collection
4 elements
Slab built box assignment
pedestal for slab built box
container for bisqued pieces
Press Molds
Phoenix Project
Final Blog Assignment

Videos/Discussions:
Maya Lin
Mahlon
Wayne

Events/Crits:
4 elements crit
Press molds/box assignment
Raku Firing

Worst Moment:
Trying to make it through every monday class. Glass blow slots at 5 in the morning gave me little sleep. The movies in the library made me fall asleep but as long as I was doing something with my hands and making something I was fine.But it wasn't that bad of a worst moment.It did make me work harder after I took a nap and went back down to the studio.

Best Moment:
Breaking my work for the final project. There were some things I had trouble parting with but mostly it was nice being able to destroy my work. I learned I'm a more processed oriented person and am less concerned about the final project.

Becca Polinski

Final Blog

April 28, 8:50pm

Assignments:
40 mini sculptures from words
1 lb timed sculpture
4 drawings from mini sculptures
Cut up drawings
4 Miquette 4" sculptures
16" coil built sculpture
Slip pattern on coil sculpture
Glaze coil built sculpture
Slab built box from body measurements
Slab built container for mini sculptures
Heavy/Light pedestal for box
2 objects for mold making
5 drawings for mold making project
1 Hybridized sculpture form
Plaster mold
8 Molds of hybridized sculpture
Glazed Box
Glazed Container
Glazed B/W Mini sculptures
8 Molds glazed: Black, White, Color, Cold "glaze"
Raku Firing
Project Phoenix
Final Blog
Class Clean up

Movies/Crits/In class events:

Maya Lin
Louise Nevelson
Noguchi
Mahlon Talk
Wayne Talk
4 Tea Party Crits


Best Moment:
Dancing with Wayne at the Raku firing, But close second would be "Glazing"

Worst Moment:
Its just clay, so no bad moments had :D

Elliott Thorpe

Projects and Assignments:
Tiny Sculptures based on words and beginning of blog assignment
Drew four of the tiny sculptures
Made four models based on the contour line of the drawings
Picked one of the models to enlarge and produce twice
Slipped the two enlarged sculptures
Glazed the two enlarged sculptures
Perfect box and container
Pedestal for perfect box
Glazed small pieces, pedestal, box and container
Press Mold process (make eight)
glaze press mold pieces
Raku fire
Phoenix Project
Final Blog assignment

Videos, events, and formal crits/discussions:
crited manipulation project, pedestals, and press molds
briefly looked at containers
Maya Lin video and some bossy sculpture lady
presentations by Mahlon and Wayne about their work

1) Worst Moment was not listening to directions.
Result: I got made fun of a lot
I learned: that we're given instructions for a reason in the long run in may help to listen to the instructions the first time around to learn techniques then break the rules the second time for further learning experiences.

2) I don't feel I had a best moment showing me that I can push myself harder and I have room to grow.

Alexis Christina Crowley

the following is a comprehensive list of everything that happened in handbuilding this semester:
-Mahlon introduced himself and said some things about the class
-Wayne came back from china
-we mixed clay
-we made 40 1/2lb? sculptures based off of words (such as bundle, which showed up twice)
-we made a 2 lb sculpture within the confines of the class time in which we were supposed to use all methods of clay manipulation (I made something very ugly because I was trying to coil, pinch, roll and all that, later I found out the goal was to pay attention to detail, which I did not do in the least)
-we were told about the blog and asked to make a descriptive entry once a day (again, the goal was learning to pay attention to detail) one time I wrote about wanting a prickly pear, which i still want. this assignment eventually faded away.
-we made 4 drawings of the small word sculptures
-we made 4 4x4 solid clay blocks
-we cut up some of those drawings based on contours, so we could do this bilateral symmetry thing with the blocks, which would become models for a blown up version of themselves (blown up 4 times of course) - these were built using the coil method.
-we were given black and white slip to 'clothe' the strange blown up things
-at some point we watched a video of isamu naguchi, and maya lin, and also louise nevelson but i wasn't there for louise and I wish I was (how do you eat a pear, darling?)
-at some point we also saw slide presentations of both mahlon and wayne's work
-somewhere in there the kiln guy talked to us about firing kilns
-we were given awesome slab making machines and canvas and told to make a shelfing unit to contextualize our word sculptures
-at some point we were asked to read a lecture wayne gave and then go to the gallery and view his piece, then, based off those experiences, ask him a question about it on the blog.
-we also had to post a question about our weird blown up 4 times piece
-using the same slab making machine we were told to make a perfect box based off of body measurements
-later we were asked to make a pedestal for the perfect box that made it appear either heavy or light, also based off of body measurements
-We were asked to find 2 objects- 1 natural, 1 man-made- to fuse together to make a new object (ray gun) that had another size restriction related to the body. Once we made the solid clay prototype, we made a plaster mold of it. Once we made the plaster press mold, we cast 8 of them. Once we cast 8 of them we glazed or covered each of them differently.
- Now we have to make this blog post that is a list of everything in the world that happened this semester, and an answering of two questions.
- our last assignment will be the breaking and remaking EXTRAVAGANZA with a possibility of flocking or rubber to cover everything in the world that we made this semester.
crits:
-we looked at the word sculptures
-we crited the drawings
-we crited the blown up 4 times weird things with slip on them, over tea
-we crited the boxes and pedestals over tea
-we crited the mold made objects and the contextualizing shelving units today, without tea.
events:
-kiln loadings and unloadings and loadings and unloadings
-Raku firing! awesome (and personally painful as I had a migraine)


Worst Moment?:
pshew, i dont know. waiting for clay to dry. Waiting is my least favorite thing, and it gets in the way of working.
Or building that first blown up 4 times weird thing. I hated that, I was trying not to hate it, but I did. I felt like I didn't know what I was doing, which is how I always feel when it comes to making something that isn't anything. I can't care about it.
Or getting the glazed pieces back. I really hated that. they were ugly and dry, and I can't see why glazes should ever be ugly when there are so many better options out there. plus glazing is one of my favorite things about ceramics and there is nothing more dissapointing than fugly glazes.
I learned that I still hate clay a little bit, but for reasons that are avoidable outside of the classroom setting. (I almost decided against ever handbuilding again in my life).

Best Moment?:
uuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmm............ making the mattresses for the boat (contextualized shelving unit thing). I like making things that are things, I understand that some other people don't... well, I don't really understand it but I know that it happens. Being able to make a thing with a reason for existing, that I wouldn't have been able to make with another material, except maybe wax, brought me back to liking handbuilding. I'm not sure that I learned anything from that because I already knew that I'm stubbourn and I only like making things that are things.

My other best moment would have been the raku firing but i wasn't in tip top shape, so seeing the resulting ray guns was my other best moment.
I learned that I'm gonna try and do a raku firing this summer.

actually, in the end my best moment will probably be breaking everything and covering up the ugly glazes with flocking and rubber. I will learn of the wonders of powdered fabric and liquid rubber.

Becca Polinski

April 15, 2:27 am

This blog is for sharing what we are feeling inside of ourselves, right now I am experiencing a "wonderful" combination of exhaustion and pure painful itchiness.

Arianna

Becca Polinski

April 8, 12:12 pm

I wish my mood could mirror the current sunny weather, but some how the serenity I felt this past weekend is gone. I'm not one to be homesick, but in earnest the only thing I really want right now is to be home. Home with my Mom, be near my family and though it isn't always a stress free environment there, there is a sense of "terra firma"; A place that could help me get my head straightened. Then I'm reminded of all the work that is to be done and that hope of falling to home is gone. My skin literally feels like it is crawling with unease and now matter how much work I try to get done the relief is short lived because, well once something is finally done there is always something else that needs attention. Sometimes I start dreaming of the moment when I get a solid time to myself, then I remember that there is no caching a break there is just more to come. So here is to finding a way to get my head screwed on and getting all to be done, done.

Arianna