Pottery Love

The end of the term is next week! I finished up my ceramic projects, and I even had the chance to take a few home. Most of my projects are still in the "kiln barn" ready to be fired, or are being fired as I blog this. I am so glad that I took ceramics. It has opened myself to creativity, a way that I have never had the chance to just create whatever my heart desires. My last experience with clay was in elementary school, and we were assigned specific projects. I made a slab owl that has a broken wing now, and I made a figure that represented a human being, only it has more square than anything, and it was faceless. The restrictions on the assignments really made clay forming an activity that was not too enjoyable. My recent ceramics class changed all of that. I could create outside of the project, anything out of the project. I could create anything within the project, as long as it met the simple requirements. I am so excited to show you my entire collection when I grab the rest of my finished pieces from school. I am going to go in tomorrow and grab them up. For now, you will just have to see the ones that are finished at the moment, and they have caused quite a stir with the folks that I have shown them to. 

I would like to commentate on this bowl. It is the most popular piece among those that have seen it, they admire it, and I can't blame them. I love this bowl. When I went in yesterday to grab up my finished pieces, I overlooked this bowl many times during my sweeps. I gazed over the shelves, and overlooked it, thinking that the bowl could not possibly be mine. For some reason, I picked it up and looked on the bottom to check for my initials, low and behold my initials were on the bottom and I was in disbelief. That is my bowl that I made with my own two hands. I threw that bowl on the wheel, and I glazed it with a beautiful Shino, Shanner Clear, and Pete's Blue Celadon 1/8 dipped. It is a favorite, and completely food safe. 

This next piece is also pretty popular, and one of my favorites. I love the multiple textures on this piece, and the way that the layering of the Amber celadon, and the Pete's Blue Celadon glazes reacted together with the coils. It is unique, and quite beautiful. I began with a pinch pot, and then rolled out tiny ropes of clay, and coiled the ropes, then I scored and slipped each coil on the pot, layering it, and making it look unique and absolutely beautiful. 

When my dad saw these pieces, he said that he wanted to take a ceramics class. That would be fun! After you involve yourself with ceramics, your hands become addicted to the feel of clay, and molding clay, and manipulating the clay. It is pure fun. 

This pitcher is made by the method of coiling. You begin with a pinch pot, and you score and slip the ropes of clay around the rim, making it grow up. It is such a fun, fast method of growing your pot. I made this pitcher for my mom, the handle is intact, and it actually pours water. I am so excited to gift this to her. 

All of my projects are unique. I am so excited to see my finished work. It is so exciting to make items that can actually function as vessels, or plates (which I also made a plate). I also wanted to share you with you this slab box I made. This is also a gift for my mom, but before I give it to her, and while I am waiting on my slab box to be fired, I am using my mom's slab box to hold my small collection of essential oils while it is still small. 

My new order of essential oils came yesterday. I received peppermint, ginger, and Christmas Spirit. Christmas Spirit and Peppermint together have been in the diffuser, and it paves the way to a wonderful beginning of the Christmas season.

I love ceramics. It is so fascinating. I am excited to take more classes. Playing with clay, and forming the clay is great therapy for my hands. Not that I need therapy, but it is nice to work with my hands. Next Wednesday is grading day for all of my ceramic projects. I will photograph the process, and all of my projects because I will be presenting them in their functional form. It will be so much fun!

Next week is finals, and I have a lot of studying to do. So, the weekend is reserved for studying, decorating for Christmas, and blogging. I am very excited! Have a wonderful weekend readers.