Ceramics I: Wheel-Thrown Mugs
Artist Statement:
In order to make my mug pots, I used the wheel to throw the stoneware clay. I had to center the clay by slamming the piece of clay onto the center of the wheel, and form it with my hands until the piece of clay was roughly uniform in the middle. It was fun and fairly easy to form the cylinder shape of the mugs, but I found it difficult to poke the hole in the middle to make the cup. I used the tool to trim the foot after I let the mugs dried, which was difficult at first, but I could trim after some practice. One problem I had was that the first two mugs I made dried too much and I had to make new mugs. After trimming, I had to add handles to my mugs. I ran out of time, so I had to quickly make the handles and could not make them to the best of my ability. Since the handles were uneven, I had to sand my pots after they were fired in the kiln.
The general shape of my mugs and the handles are the same, and the glaze unifies the mugs. I first covered my pots in light blue high fire glaze, and then covered part of the mugs with the darker blue glaze. I put the dark blue glaze on an angle, so the glaze covers about half of the mugs on a diagonal angle. The design made by the glaze is the same on both mugs, so they are united by both the mug shape and the glaze pattern. When glazing, on one of the mugs, I put on too much glaze so the glaze did not dry. I had to remove the glaze and glaze it again, which took more time, but I was still able to finish during the class time.
As I did not know how to use the wheel before this unit, I learned much during this unit. I learned how to use the wheel, various techniques such as centering and trimming, how to add handles, and how high-fire glaze is applied. I had a lot of fun during this unit, although it was difficult to learn all of these new techniques. Honestly, although it was frustrating when I messed up my mugs, I found it easy to start over again since it took little time to make a new pot, while other pots in other units took a lot of time. I found the technique of trimming very helpful for future units and for next year in Ceramics II, since I learned that I could use the trimming tool to make the foots of the pots, which I never had used before. Now that it is the end of the unit, I can make pots using the wheel fairly quickly and effectively than I could in the beginning of the unit. I also now know how to use stoneware clay and high-fire glaze.
The general shape of my mugs and the handles are the same, and the glaze unifies the mugs. I first covered my pots in light blue high fire glaze, and then covered part of the mugs with the darker blue glaze. I put the dark blue glaze on an angle, so the glaze covers about half of the mugs on a diagonal angle. The design made by the glaze is the same on both mugs, so they are united by both the mug shape and the glaze pattern. When glazing, on one of the mugs, I put on too much glaze so the glaze did not dry. I had to remove the glaze and glaze it again, which took more time, but I was still able to finish during the class time.
As I did not know how to use the wheel before this unit, I learned much during this unit. I learned how to use the wheel, various techniques such as centering and trimming, how to add handles, and how high-fire glaze is applied. I had a lot of fun during this unit, although it was difficult to learn all of these new techniques. Honestly, although it was frustrating when I messed up my mugs, I found it easy to start over again since it took little time to make a new pot, while other pots in other units took a lot of time. I found the technique of trimming very helpful for future units and for next year in Ceramics II, since I learned that I could use the trimming tool to make the foots of the pots, which I never had used before. Now that it is the end of the unit, I can make pots using the wheel fairly quickly and effectively than I could in the beginning of the unit. I also now know how to use stoneware clay and high-fire glaze.