I have not studied art or ceramics at degree level, so this was my first real project, and I didn’t really know how to prepare. I need to develop a ‘checklist’ of how best to communicate ideas.
During this first project I have learnt the following things
1. Until I have drawn/painted my source of inspiration in detail, I can’t really see it. I need to do this straight away.
2. I should do bigger drawings in a bigger sketchbook
3. The first lot of photos are not always detailed enough, because they are not focused enough. I should plan for a second more focused visit/session.
4. I need to get design work done outside the workshop and on time, (even when it is my birthday week).
5. I have to accept that there isn’t enough time to try all my ideas, choose my favourite and move on.
6. I need to work out how to communicate my ideas more effectively.
7. I must listen to feedback, listen properly.
8. Timetabled time does not equal making time.
9. My project work will be fired on time, even if I am not yet happy with the finish.
10. I probably won’t have time to develop an improved second version of any item.
If I had the opportunity to return to the library/library walk subject I would want to develop and improve the following areas.
Concept - I liked my man-made theme, I had chosen a pathway in Manchester, that I am very familiar with, and that I had passed through daily at three different times in my life.
I know from experience that visual perspective is distorted in the library walk. The horizontal lines on the buildings appear to go down towards a vanishing point. The vertical lines are also distorted because of the reducing window size of the town hall. There is a very strange feeling in the middle, where it is not possible to see either the entrance or the exit of the walk, and the roundness of the library presses into the narrowest part of the passageway, which is wider at both ends.
I made a rough triangular shaped maquette which tapered towards a vanishing point, to exaggerate this distortion, and curved in the middle to represent how it felt to be in the space. I failed to communicate effectively why I had done this. Rob looked puzzled at what I had made, and said 'do you know you have made it lower at one side and curved in the middle'. Dave drew a 'real' 3D drawing of the space in my sketchbook, for me to make. I made the 'real' form with slabs to please them, then threw it in the reclaim bin at the end of the day. It was very frustrating. I need to develop my ideas and sketches in a timely fashion to communicate my ideas more clearly and confidently.
I had also looked at a nearby building where traces of its past uses were evident. I wanted to develop the idea of the library walk having traces of past lives and events. I walked there from age 11, then from age 18 and then from age 25. My mum and gran walked through there on the way to work, or on the way for tea. I had to rearrange my designs, and did incorporate some perspective lines in my new stands, but ran out of design time to incorporate the connections between time, places and people. I would like to come back to this at a later date.
There are a number of ‘making’ issues I would like to address as follows
Man- made deliver bowl with ‘town-hall windows’ pattern. I would like to make a bigger bowl and finish it better. The impressed ‘window’ marks had caused distortion around the rim of the bowl. They needed to be sited at a lower level to allow a more elegant rim to the bowl, and to be scraped back more on the underside. I would like to try a different design too, there was an unusual brick configuration above the library windows, this would look nice on bowl, maybe using slip in a Susan Nemeth lamination style.
Man- made stands with perspective lines. I carved the distorted perspective lines and highlighted them with copper oxide which spread into the surrounding glaze. (I didn’t realise the extent that copper did this). I would like to try the copper without the carved lines. I would also like to try the carved lines with a coloured inlay. I would finally like to see how the 'stands’ would work as a vessel, with an opening at the top. I could also reflect the distorted perspectives in the vessel forms themselves instead of the decoration, similar to my first maquette.
Natural seed case stand. I poured the oxide into the hollows and turned the piece to emphasis the contours, I liked this effect, especially as the glaze created lines on the top. I had however used copper oxide again, and the colour ran down too much on one side. I would like to try this again with less oxide, or a different oxide. I liked the poured titanium white glaze and its reaction with the copper in the hollows. I also liked the thicker and thinner areas of glaze, emphasising the undulations of the form and the clay beneath. I would like to make a rounder or a taller version of this.
Natural half- seed case ‘deliver’. I loved making this shape. I had never made a mould with wet clay before, and it was so simple and effective. It was easy to visualise the output, and I definitely want to do this again on larger and more complex items. I used copper on the
outside and liked the resulting metallic grey effect. The inside was cobalt, but turned out as a green colour, because I applied it too thickly. The whole thing was covered in titanium white before firing, which was only apparent on the rim. I would try to improve the inside and the rim if I made this again. I would like to make a bigger version of this, and maybe add a foot ring, or add a shallow stand. I would also like to use this making method for other forms.
All pieces made using reclaimed clay, decorated with titanium white stoneware glaze and oxides (copper and cobalt)
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