It has been difficult to work in the last two or three weeks, due to catching Helen's cold, which has left me with a bad cough. I feel as if I have fallen behind, where I was hoping to be.
I wanted to develop a piece I made a few weeks ago, that uses my abstracted architectural shapes, see below.
Template
I made this without a template, which had two consequences. On a positive note, I could see and adjust the form and proportions as I went, and I find it better to design in 3D than 2D. The main disadvantage is that I found it difficult to scale up and make a larger version, especially as I wanted to try to make each sepate compartment, and then stand them together. I was not happy with the centre piece, I did not get this right. I was in two minds as to whether to remake this piece, but am waiting for these to come out of bisque firing before I decide.
Coloured Clay
In the meantime I decided to make a piece in the new stoneware red clay, delivered at the start of the month, this now gives me three clay colours. In order to kill two birds with one stone, I decided to make the centre piece in three colours. I made a red, black and cream version, and added lines to each in a different coloured slip. I was happier that I had got the correct form, so if I need to remake the centre piece above I can use these to create a template. I quite liked the contrast in colour, although I am not sure that I like black and red. I made a black vessel for practice 2, and thought it was too heavy and foreboding. I also had problems with precise texture on the black clay, so I used slip to create the lines, and these were relatively quick and easy to do on these pieces.
I am feeling that these are a bit constrained, and the form is too small, and perhaps should be taller, and the slabs need to have a couple of layers at least.The lines of slip are too precise, and too neat.
Closed form
In response to this, and a suggestion for a solid form at the last group meeting, I drew a few closed layered forms last weekend, and on Tuesday made a maquette from a leftover slab (without my sketchbook, after accidentally leaving it at home that day). I was not really committed to a closed form, but thought a second layer might be interesting. This form was quite tricky to make, as I did not define the layers, I just took the abstracted shapes I had been using for my buildings, and started to make. The first layer looked great, then I realised the practical difficulty that this uneveness presented. Adding a second and third layer was difficult, especially in one particular area where there was a triangular piece sticking up. Equal flat or at least continuous layers is the way to go, practically and aesthetically. Every day is a school day.
I managed to add the extra pieces, and clean it up a bit by lunchtime, I was glad to wrap it up, and was already thinking about glazing some bisqued pots as Cath had decided to do a reduction firing this week after all. After lunch Rob made an unexpected visit to see what we were doing, and I told him about the piece and he asked to see it. He said that he could sharpen it up a lot in less than half an hour. He got a hacksaw blade and a metal kidney, and very quickly it had a much more professional finish. He advised more time and patience with the finish..
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