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