Ceramics Final Reflection

CERAMICS FINAL REFLECTION
	Photo of final glaze piece	Final thought on the best parts of this piece.
Project 1		The best parts of my piece were creating a unique shape of honey- comb using slab. I also  like how I manipulated the amount of glaze to give a scratched, antique  look.
Project 2		I think the best part of this vase was the carving  detail I added below the neck and the pinched shape of the lip of the vase.  I think these additions made the vase  unique. I also like the warm autumn color of the vase and the patches  of olive green and fuschia that show through like strokes.
Project 3		What I found really interesting about this tripod mug was how I  used the same glaze as in the vase, but different  applications and amounts of the glazes  dramatically changed the color. I really love the jade green and hints  of blue and pink that show through with a golden yellow that highlights the sharp edges. I wanted to create a unique tripod mug, so I gave a deconstructed effect by layering rings. I think this made the mug more modern, yet  the glaze gave a traditional effect.
Project 4		I really like the sentiment behind the shoe, how it pays homage to the victims of school shootings. I wanted to make a kid's shoe because it reminds me of my younger siblings and how grateful I am to  be living in a safe environment.
Looking at all of your work in class, tell me how you felt about what you accomplished.
I am genuinely very pleasantly surprised by my journey. I didn't think I would ever be able to create the sophisticated ceramics pieces I see in shops and museums, but now I definitely have more confidence in working in with clay and slip.  I will definitely continue working with clay, and hopefully, I can come to ceramics class again and create some more work!
What could I do better as a teacher in making this class better?
I really appreciate the genuine care you have towards us and your passion to help us feel more confident  in our abilities. Maybe if we can have shorter demos intermittently, like showing steps one and two, and  then waiting for everyone to reach that stage, then continuing again...that would help us remember exactly what steps to do and keep us all at the same pace. Thank you so much for everything, including helping us when we struggle and making ceramics so open  to anyone of any skill level. Thank you for encouraging our effort and progress, not just the visual appeal of our work.
I’ve enjoyed this class with each of you.  I wish we had more time together. Have a great summer and I will miss all of you. Mr. P

Ceramics Tripod Reflection

Tripod mug
Insert pre fire photo here:
Construction
What skills, techniques, or process did you employ to create your mug? I used skills previously done before, like undulation (vase) and slab work. What we did that  was different from the previous units, though, was making the three "legs" of the vase, which required new skills like filling the holes in with clay and closing the base of the vase. How does your final construction look? Also describe the difficulties in construction. I wanted to do something different with my construction. I think the final construction looks very unique and cool, and I think the design gave it a more modern "deconstructed" look. It was difficult to slice the clay evenly, and it was also hard to smooth out the sides since the shape was complex.
Glazing
Insert Pre fired Glaze photo:	Insert your post fire Glaze photo:
Glaze Record and technique: Chun Plum (55) over textured turquoise. I used 2 coats of both in a left-right brush motion. I was really really happy by how the turquoise came out more because it gave a really pretty "jade" green look with closer details of pink and blue when we look closer.
Final thoughts about your mug with a selfie out of your mug in the cafeteria: Overall, I really love the color that came out, and it really taught me how to manipulate the amounts of glaze to get variations.

Ceramics Coil Vessel Blog Post

Coil Vessel
Insert post construction photo:
Describe what you liked about the coiling process of building: I loved how we could control the appearance and shape of the clay with every step by following the template. I loved manipulating the shape of the coil to follow the undulation.
Describe your frustrations: It was a bit challenging forming the little bump before the neck, and
Did your original idea change? If yes what changes occurred? My original idea stayed the same, but I did decide to add the engravings a little later in the process because I wanted to add something more unique to my vase. How could you have constructed better? I should have made sure that I didn't apply as much pressure on areas that are prone to crack, clean my vase better (smoothening the insides), and revive all over my vase to prevent drying and cracking.
Screenshot of your glaze of choice.
Insert Pre Fired Glaze Photo	Insert Post Fired Glaze Photo
Glaze Record: Textured Turquoise base (x2) Chun Plum top (x1)	Glaze application: I applied two coats of textured turquoise and then one thick coat of Chun plum. I used a left to right stroke.
Describe your final result.  Was it what you expected? (better or worse) I think my final result was better than I expected. I think I successfully highlighted the engravings because the color concentrated in the curves and stretched on the edges. I was going for a "warm blue" with all different kinds of colors, and this result was surprisingly a very autumny warm combination with hints of olive green which I really like.
How could you you have glazed better? I think I should have put more coats of glaze because I could see my strokes in some places. I think in the future I will also experiment with the drip effect and use that on the outside or inside.
How could the teacher have taught the unit better? I really think Mr. P was perfect in his in-depth demos but I'll try :) Maybe if we had gotten more demos on how to do additional things with our vase (sculptures, engravings, holes, drawing with glaze...) that would have been helpful as well.

Ceramics 1 Blog Post - Box

Slab Construction
Construction
Reflection:   Describe what you enjoyed about the construction- I really enjoyed working with a unique shape. In my construction, I made a shape of two hexagons together to create a honeycomb figure. I also really enjoyed making the honey spoon handle because this was beyond what we were taught in class. Describe what you found difficult or needed more instruction- I think making the slabs fit together properly and making both halves equal in size was a struggle because there are always little errors with measurements and working with clay. However, this was a very valuable learning process, and with Mr. P's help, I was able to understand how to fix that difficulty using a ruler for shaping. What do you think about the final outcome of your construction?- I think the final outcome of my piece very unique. I like it because it demonstrates a special part of me through the honey theme (how my mom and I stayed up till 2 am once being very fascinated watching the process of honey on T.V). I also like the hexagonal engravings I made on the surface to create some design and texture. I don't know how others will interpret my box, but to me, it's a personal piece that stands out from other standard boxes.
Glaze Record and Technique
Glazes and Underglazes used: I used the tawny color for my glaze. I used a little bit of opalescent on top (but then covered it back with tawny). Technique: I just used the tawny color all over and covered the opalescent coat I had made because I didn't want to take a risk with how different colors would interact with each other.
Pre Fire Glaze Photo	Post Fire Glaze Photo
Final Reflection
Describe the overall final result of your piece. The overall result of my piece looked glossy and had a nice finish with the glaze. I was glad that the engraving of the hexagons I had made was still there and that my box didn't have any cracks. What was your biggest surprise? My biggest surprise was how the color of glazing turned out. To my surprise, the different amounts of glazing produced a darker color in some areas that gave a really cool scratched or antique look. What would you change for your construction technique? For my construction, I would change the angles at which I arranged my individual slabs. The angles I cut the slabs made it more time consuming to give a neat finish. What would you change for your glazing technique? With more knowledge of glazing, I would definitely like to try overlapping more than one color. I used opalescent but wasn't sure about the color product, so I covered tawny back on top.