Finally Throwing Again

    Last week, I did a lot of painting on the pots I threw back at the beginning of March right before the pandemic lockdown. This allowed me to think more critically about how to get my pieces done in less time than usual, which I believe I wrote about in my last post. I am still keeping up with my details and patterns, and have some new floral motifs in my sketchbook to try out as well. 

    Another suggestion from my critique was to use white clay, which I got some of from Mudworks this past Friday. I am trying out a clay called Little Loafers and I am absolutely in love with it- there is less grog than the clay I was using before, it feels like porcelain but is not as short as porcelain, and also does not have as high of a shrinkage as a porcelain I used to use- 14% !

    Yesterday I woke up and went right to my studio to throw with this new clay, and practiced making forms that were the same size and shape by measuring with a wooden rib. I threw 8 pieces in total and they are not as even as my goals, but they are much closer than I have been in the past. 

Exact Measurement

My critique went very well. I received lots of feedback on where else I can draw inspiration from, as well as advice on how to make my print and ceramic styles more cohesive. I got the idea to use a white stoneware rather than a terracotta, in order to make my colors appear brighter on my ceramic pieces. I was also given inspiration to experiment with paper clay to bring in printmaking elements to my work. In printmaking, rather than printing in a gradient, I want to experiment will cell coloring and doing  CMYK process of screen printing. 

This week, I have been working on making my measurements of my drawings more exact- 45 degree angles, using a ruler and a protractor to determine where each line would go mathematically. While I enjoy the uneven "doodle" style of my pieces, I really would like to see them as more mathematical, just to see which style works best.

Critique Week

 This week I have spent preparing for my BFA critique. I've been attempting to photograph the work I am making as it would be used in its environment. I have figured out that I want to make functional objects because I want people to be able to consistently use art in their daily lives, and that I want to design a line of handmade products. These products would be artwork that can be used in the home, like dinnerware, or printed products such as folders, notebooks, and other stationary.

During my critique I hope to receive feedback on the level of success of my patterns and whether or not my prints are cohesive with my ceramic work, because one of my goals now is to create a website for my product line and to design enough products by the holidays to have the start of a brand.