Marie
This has been my first experience coiling and pinching to create a hollow piece. The process is quite tedious at first but once you get the hang of it, all the sudden you have to stop building because the clay will be too wet and will collapse if you don’t! Over the period of the past few weeks I have been coiling my piece starting at the base slab of clay. I unfortunately had to make 3 pieces in the time most of the class has had to make one. What can I say I like to make things difficult on myself!
Trying to figure out how we were going to connect the two vases was probably the most difficult part. I had to build up both pots up to about 26 centimeters. Then I had to cut a perfect circle out of the sides of both of the pots. Easy thing to do with the little compass tool we have. I don’t think I can hand draw a perfect circle to save my life let alone 2 symmetrical ones. Anyways after they both have circles in their sides I rolled out a slab of clay and had to squeeze my hand in and the clay into the almost closed pots to connect the two together. After it was in place then I blended with a serrated rib, think of the edge of a serrated knife but in the shape of an oval that has been cut in half.
Once it was put together I had to make Nugget. Nugget had to go on the one side of the pot first; due to the fact that I would have to reach through the hole joining the pots and blend Nugget underneath into the inside of the pot to attach him.To make Nugget, he had to be hollow as well. So it was the pinching process I used for him with some coiling thrown in. Most of the front side of Nugget is coiled while his bottom is pinched into place. I started with the front part of Nugget’s body, followed by attaching, then cutting off and re-attaching his back side. Trying to get him the absolute correct size was near impossible due to the fact that the pictures I had to measure Nugget from where taken at an angle. So Nugget is a best guess when it comes to his length and truth be told he is probably a little long. But that is ok; I think he is cute none the less. I love Nugget’s big ears! They match his personality.
Well, after attaching Nugget the rest was history, just adding on the neck to the other vase. Overall I am extremely happy with the way it turned out. I think considering this is my first time coiling and making the piece hollow I did remarkably well. I am happy with it and as long as I like it that is all that matters! After all it will be sitting in my house right? Yes and I just realized that Nugget is on the wrong side of the pot! Ooops!
Now let’s hope it does not blow up in the kiln. Not likely to happen all the time but it does happen due to air bubbles in the clay that pull the water into it creating a pressure that can screw your piece up by going ka-ploo-ee! So I am hoping that I was able to apply enough pressure using the serrated rib to get rid of any air bubbles. Nugget protect your pot and be brave!
For the next part of the project, we have to design how the piece would look if a modern (1900 and up) artist were to design the piece. I am inspired by Barbra Hepworth. Take a look at some of her work. Just Google and up pops her stuff. Completely abstract and beautiful! I am totally inspired for this piece!
http://www.nmwa.org/collection/profile.asp?LinkID=858
Marie
I remember as a kid playing in the dirt. I was outside often with my friends that my mom babysat and we would make up all sorts of imaginary games, using only the elements the earth had given us. Making mud pies, writing my name, even drawing out a map to some buried treasure. Somethings never do change do they? I am still playing in the dirt or a form of it. I love working with clay, molding and shaping, feeling the ooze of the clay between my fingers. I seem to never be able to get the clay out from underneath my fingernails, since every time I turn around I am working in it! I guess I kind of like it that way though, it shows who I am and what my passion is for. Now don't get me wrong, my passion is not for just clay or ceramics but for sculpture as well, which is why I am currently working toward my BFA with a concentration in sculpture and ceramics. My most recent love affair with clay (I had one in my teens with polymer) didn't start in my ceramic class as you might assume. It actually started in my sculpture one class when I was charged by my professor to create a life size bust of myself. To make it more fun I decided to make a face, a sad pouting face. It ended up weighing around 50 pounds by the time I was done with it. That experience was all I needed to be hooked not only to clay but to the idea of working in the round or 3-d.
Now I am finally in ceramics one, and I invited you to follow me in my journey of this class and of my art work. The first project is to reproduce an antique item (1800’s or before) in a larger scale. I have chosen to take on the ridiculous task of making a double vessel, titled Mouse with Bottle. Keep in mind the original height of the piece is only 6 inches (approx.) but I get the fun of making it 16 inches!
It is from the Recuay Civilization which was in Peru, located in the north Andes Mountains, near present-day Recuay in the Callejón de Huaylas Valley. The civilization lasted from around 1200 BC to about 800 AD. The Recuay are most known for their pottery which usually has some sort of animals or men attached to it. Hence the lovely mouse on the top of the vessel.
I have decided to name him Nugget, since goodness knows the art historians never will! Nugget is really what drew me to the piece. I wanted to know why he was there, and what importance did this mouse have to the Recuay culture. Unfortunately research is still on going and at this time they don’t know much about Nugget. They do however know that the weird looking animal drawn on the sides of the vessel is a moon animal or moon monster. Yep that little scrawny, big round eye animal with the curly tail, that would be the moon animal, I call him Norris.
As I get further along in the process of hand building this vessel I will update on how Nugget and Norris are doing. Stay tune for more!
