Unit 5

This was a fun piece to make. I loved the creativity that it allowed me to make a fun character. I like the way it turned out, but I did not take the project past greenwear because I don't have a use for it in my home. If you want to make this piece next time, I would make a more realistic face with clothing on the chest. The construction was a bit hard, however. I started by shaping a solid base of clay, then gradually built up the head, neck, and shoulders using slabs. I then carved and refined facial features and details, keeping the clay moist.

My spirit animal is a deer, so I decided to make a faun for my project. While I think it ended up looking a bit like a donkey, it’s still one of my favorite pieces I’ve made. I was really sad when I came into class one day to find it shattered. I love how colorful it is, and making it was a big challenge for me because I’m not very good with proportions, so creating a realistic animal was tough. Despite that, I believe I executed the design well. Next time, I’ll make sure to keep it safe and work on cleaning up my lines during glazing to make it look even better.

For my useful ceramics piece, I decided to make a dragon cup to hold my bookmarks. I really loved the design and enjoyed adding details like the dragon’s scales and wings to make it unique. However, the wings were very fragile and kept breaking off during the construction process. I tried fixing them several times, but after many attempts, I had to give up and put the piece in the slop bucket. If I were to do this project again, I would focus more on strengthening the wings by making them thicker or attaching them differently to the cup. I would also take more time to plan the construction to ensure all parts are sturdy and well-supported. Despite the challenges, I learned a lot about working with delicate parts and how important it is to be patient with the process.

This project was super fun to create and challenged me to bring a unique idea to life. I wanted to make a piece that could sit in my room and catch people’s attention, sparking conversations because of its unusual and quirky design. I chose to make a wizard rat, inspired by an artist on Etsy who creates human-sized rat masks. I followed the distinctive pattern of the mask, especially the long nose, and translated that into ceramic form. Making the bust involved carefully sculpting the basic shape, then adding details like the nose, ears, and wizard hat. I enjoyed experimenting with different textures and smoothing the clay to bring the character to life. Overall, I’m proud of how it turned out and how it reflects my creativity and the inspiration behind it. 

For another project, I made a mask with large, dramatic eyelashes that really stand out. I carefully sculpted each lash to be thick and curved, focusing on the shape and texture to create a bold, expressive look. It was challenging to attach the eyelashes securely without them breaking, so I worked slowly to make sure they stayed in place. The mask relies on its form and details rather than color, which made me focus more on the sculpting and structure. This project helped me improve my skills in creating delicate features while keeping the piece strong and balanced.

For this project, I sculpted a spider with its legs lifting the body off the ground and many eyes to give it a detailed, eerie look. I focused on making the legs thin but sturdy enough to hold the spider’s body elevated, which was a real challenge because they kept wanting to bend or break. Adding multiple eyes was tricky too, since each one had to be carefully shaped and attached to create the right effect. I relied on texture and form to bring the spider to life. This project taught me the importance of patience and careful planning when working with fragile elements in ceramics.