ARTIST STATEMENT
Before taking this class, I had never done anything with ceramics, but I learned so many things; how to throw on the wheel, how to build slabs, hand build, trim, glaze, and carve. I’ve even learned something about myself as well.
I took longer to develop my idea for the art show than my classmates. After reflecting, I see that when it comes to art, my favorite ideas come to me while I’m creating. I realize I have been the same way in other art classes I’ve taken.
I was initially inspired by something my friend did with slabs last year. This is how my idea for the ruffled slab bowls developed. After creating a shorter one, I was inspired to try making a tall one. Then, after practicing throwing different forms, I learned my favorite form is plates. I wanted small plates for the ruffled slab bowls to rest on, and a big plate to be the center piece.
At first, I wanted lilac and cherry glazes since the art show is in the spring. For the big plate, I wanted to paint it, using the same glaze colors to be the cohesive element of my show. After thinking about my ideas and sketching them out, I figured out that it wasn’t what I wanted. So, Mrs. Sanyour showed me a process called wax resist inlay. In this process, you start with a leather hard plate that has not been bisque fired. Then, you underglaze it, cover it with wax (seals the underglaze), and carve any design you want. Then, underglaze the design, and wipe the wax off your plate. The second underglaze will only cover your carving, since the wax protects the first underglaze. This is the process I used.
I had no idea what I was going to carve until I started, so I free-handed it and it came out just how I wanted it. The edges chipped a little, and I wish I could do this all over again to fix all the minor details, but, I learned so much from taking this class and took a lot away from this experience.
I took longer to develop my idea for the art show than my classmates. After reflecting, I see that when it comes to art, my favorite ideas come to me while I’m creating. I realize I have been the same way in other art classes I’ve taken.
I was initially inspired by something my friend did with slabs last year. This is how my idea for the ruffled slab bowls developed. After creating a shorter one, I was inspired to try making a tall one. Then, after practicing throwing different forms, I learned my favorite form is plates. I wanted small plates for the ruffled slab bowls to rest on, and a big plate to be the center piece.
At first, I wanted lilac and cherry glazes since the art show is in the spring. For the big plate, I wanted to paint it, using the same glaze colors to be the cohesive element of my show. After thinking about my ideas and sketching them out, I figured out that it wasn’t what I wanted. So, Mrs. Sanyour showed me a process called wax resist inlay. In this process, you start with a leather hard plate that has not been bisque fired. Then, you underglaze it, cover it with wax (seals the underglaze), and carve any design you want. Then, underglaze the design, and wipe the wax off your plate. The second underglaze will only cover your carving, since the wax protects the first underglaze. This is the process I used.
I had no idea what I was going to carve until I started, so I free-handed it and it came out just how I wanted it. The edges chipped a little, and I wish I could do this all over again to fix all the minor details, but, I learned so much from taking this class and took a lot away from this experience.