1st Ceramics rotation

Part 1: Coiling

For our coiling portion we made some small vases the coiling process involved taking long sausages of clay and layering them on top of each other. Then once the base shape has been achieved you press the coils down into themselves as to create a flat surface. This session was well delivered with clear and concise instruction for what I need to do.

Part 2: Slab working, Glazing

during the slab working portion of this day we were given some flattened out pieces of leather hardened clay that we could use in order to make a plug. I found this task to be fairly easy for the plug design was already given to me so I didn't really need to think for my self and it was more or a cutting and sticking exercise. I would have liked to have a little more freedom with what I was aloud to make rather than just making another plug like everyone else.

later on in the day we glazed the pots we had previously made with our coiling technique we glazed and rakku fired the vase. This was done by placing the vase in the kiln with the glaze on it then once the vase had spent ample time in the kiln it was taken out and placed in a barrel of sawdust after spending time in the sawdust and being aloud to cool. sadly my vase cracked along the bottom but i feel that this is due to the design of my vase making it difficult for me to join the corners of the vase

I enjoyed doing the slab working and feel that it could be used in many different processes and could make some really interesting sculptures. I understood the basics of slab working but feel that it could have been taken deeper than was shown in the lecture.

Part 3: Throwing

For the throwing class we spent most of the time just making whatever we wanted it was mainly just learning the methods behind throwing and getting a

better grasp on the techniques to be used in throwing. I found throwing very difficult and struggled with grasping how delicate it was and always ended up

ripping the clay off the base. I did not really enjoy throwing because I ended up just getting frustrated and not actually being able to finish anything.

Evaluation

I found the ceramics rotation somewhat enjoyable but still feel that ceramics is not for me. I found the fact that i needed to be so delicate with it very difficult and could not get the control I needed over the material due to my dodgy hands. I understand that in time this will become a less of a problem.

#PDP