This week I didn't start any new projects, but I managed to finish my "Family Project" as well as my "found object" box project. Over the next few weeks I'll get those two pieces photographed. (So you can see it!)

I spent some time thinking today about where I would like to "get to" over the course of the year.  I'm hopefully going to decide on a direction of where I would like to go sometime soon. I think this should also fall into place as I decide on a concentration.

Today I also spent some time looking at the online gallery of Jun Kaneko. Most of his works are in the category he calls "The Contemporary Ceramics Movement in America." His pieces tend to be larger than himself, and take a long time to make.

This week I had an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience to do a really cool workshop with my classmates, under the direction of Diane Lou. During this time I learned a few things that I would like to carry over into other aspects of my art working endeavors. One of these, was to be patient, and to be open minded. I learned that one should sometimes not have an end product in mind, and to rather allow for change and whatever was necessary to happen.

Here are my two projects, I am really interested in seeing what other people think about these two pieces.

This week I put a lot of time into refining some of my pieces I made over the summer, so that they would be ready to be photographed. I also managed to get most of my family project, which I intend on completing over the weekend.

I'm really excited for the long workshop we have coming up next week and I'm sure that it will be a great experience.


When I saw this photo, I really appreciated the sense of "family" as it related to this artist. This is a cool and unique approach to the topic.

This week I started my project representing my abstract interpretation of what "family" means to me. It really got me thinking. The basis for the piece is a few simple cup-like forms all connected to each other as though "holding hands" (even though the absence of actual hands is a little abstract).

This week I also stumbled upon some cool pieces of pottery that appear to be in the hand built/ slab style.

I really like the glaze  and texture on this one. I also like the contemporary feel it has.

 This week my Sarah Davis inspired pieces were bisque fired and now I'm working on some ideas as to how I would like to glaze them. Unfortunately there were a few minor cracks along the weaker seams but it appears that they won't affect the function of the final piece too greatly

Wow, already another week gone by. This week I was able to finish my two projects which I started at the retreat which I now need to bisque fire. (I will post a picture of these next week). Speaking of these projects, I really enjoyed making them, and it inspired me to maybe try and make a few more. I found some other examples of altered forms online, and would really like to make some in this style.

I also started my next piece which will be an attempt at a "shocking art" styled work of art. So far I have a collection of ideas in my head and a few found objects that I would like to incorporate into my final design.

A Great Retreat!

        The AP 3-D retreat at Menucha in Corbett was a blast. It was an awesome experience and great opportunity to create art, bond with classmates, and have fun.
         We were fortunate to have a guest artist, known for her altered pieces. I really enjoyed the process of altering the cylinder forms, to create my own version of this unique style of pottery. She also had some great things to say, and brought up some interesting ideas about individuality versus originality for discussion

        One of my highlights was the Andy Goldsworthy inspired project. For this, I took some flowers, and then some dead reed-like plant materials, and tied it with grass. I tried to make a representation of a tree. One of the lessons I learned from this was that the process of creating something can be just as valuable as the final result itself. And in this case, the experience of being out in the wilderness and creating a piece of art is what I will remember and value most. (I think the picture is nice, but does not do the experience justice).