Kelsey Walker

Jan 25, 2008

Ceramics

When artist sit down to work on a piece of art the ending result is often far from what they imagined. Over time a certain style begins to form that reflects the artist and makes them distinctive from others. Since I have began working in ceramics I have learned not only how to make harder projects, but also how to make them more centered and create a more desired shapes. Also as I made more projects I began to see my own personal style emerge.

In order to show the diversity of my projects as well as demonstrate my theme of natural, narrative, down to earth projects I chose my one third to two thirds proportioned pitcher, a small bowl with a quote engraved, a large bowl with a flared lip and wax creating a design, as well as my hand and wheel project. My pitcher is four and a half inches tall and has a vase shape that was created by pulling up a cylinder and creating a round bottom with the rib tool. In order to get the vase shape I was looking for I used a method called choking where you slowly move your hands up your project pulling the top into a cone shape then again using the rib to flare the lip back out. Once I had the body of the pitcher I made a handle and slipped and scored it in order to attach it. After going through the bisque kiln I glazed it by using a blue stain. I formed a flower looking design with various shades depending on the potency of the stain and in order to emphasize in different shades I put a clear coat over the top. In the next project I made I tried to make it exclusive by carving words into the side of it. After I had my desired shape of a small wide bowl with a flared lip I let it dry for a day and then carved the quote into the side using a pin tool. In order to make the words stand out I left the original color of the clay for the base of the project and made the words a turquoise. When it came out of the glaze kiln I was un happy with how dull the project looked so I took the same turquoise and covered the inside of the bowl and curled it around the lip to contrast with the white clay and make the words stand out more. My next project I decided to make very practical so I made a bowl with a wide bottom and steep sides making it spherical. Again I started with a cylinder pulling it out wide a pushed the rib tool down from the top of the lip in order to make it very spherical. Because the shape is so simple I decided to go for a more unconventional glaze. I used wax to make a design because I knew it would repel the glaze. I made a vine shaped pattern with the wax and put shadow green over the top to complement the vine look. My most advanced project that I have made is my hand and wheel. Like many things in art this bowl was an accident. I threw the bowl on the wheel and before I put it in the bisque kiln I set it out to dry and accidentally chipped the lip. Instead of just starting over I decided to attach a sun to the top which I made by cutting it out of a rolled piece of clay. This set the theme for this bowl which turned into a narrative. I made it panoramic scenery inspired by where we live. I carved in mountains and a river on the outside and a flower on the inside with the petals coming up the sides. I made the river and sky again with various shades of blue stain and the mountains with shadow green. After the creation of these various projects I have realized that many different looks and moods can be accomplished by even just slight adjustments in the shape or idiosyncratic glazes.

Each of my projects, even though all individual, still share a common theme. They all have a very down to earth, eclectic, natural style. Some tell stories and other’s abstract look show different symbols of nature. As an artist I attempt to portray an image that creates a simplistic, humble mood, while still intriguing. Each project complements each other through similar color scheme of greens and blues. All though they all share a common theme and color scheme it was important for me to make each one somehow different from each other so most of them have modified after they come off the wheel to make they individual, whither it be through layering glazes to create an abstract color or engraving or using wax. Each of my projects are different but they all express a particular part of nature or portray a message whether it be through a scene or words. These projects are what creates my theme and ties all of them together.

Going into this ceramics class I thought it was just about making bowls, dipping them into the most convenient glaze, but as my work has matured I slowly recognized a common theme a went with it. I have not only matured in my theme but in my technique as well making more complex and flattering shapes. I have come to the realization that I’m not just making a bowl for a grade but rather expressing and idea, mood or telling a story.