AR 216 Ceramics
Holly Kane Medina
Section 1

Journal Entries

#4 Journal/Refection Slab Constructions (Green Ware)

Please discuss how you began your Slab Construction, describe the process, include photos and write about your reason for the type green ware decoration used incising, stamping ect.  Please submit the file as a PDF file on-line and make sure you have your name and title of Journal in the file name.  

            My slab construction was thought out on how I could create a piece that would be 10 inches tall. I had trouble trying to figure out how much clay would be needed to create such a difficult piece. Although I settle for the safe side and made a 7 inch three-sided vase. On each side of that vase, I created a bump towards the bottom of the piece.

            I started off by wedging a huge block of clay. I wedged it into a shape to where it could create a long piece of slab. I used the slab roller to create my slab and then I measured and cut three rectangular pieces. I then cut the edge of the rectangular pieces into a diagonal shape. After creating the diagonal shape, I scored and slip the pieces together to create a three-dimensional triangle. After having my piece standing, I created a bulge from the bottom of the piece so it will look like a dome or like a ball. On the top of my piece, I added three petal look-alikes and curved it to give it that “flower” look. I didn’t know whether or not to add decorative designs to it, but I left it plain and thought that maybe glazing would help make my piece “pop”.

            This experience was difficult but worth it in the end! J

AR 216 Ceramics
Holly Kane Medina
Section 1

Journal Entries

#3 Journal/Reflection Coil Construction (Green Ware)

Please discuss how you began your Coil Construction. Describe the process, did you blend the coils or did you choose to use the coil pattern as part of the decoration? (include photos if you can) and what was your reason for the type green ware decoration used incising, stamping ect.  Please submit the file as a PDF file on-line and make sure you have your name and title of Journal in the file name.  

            Before I started my coil construction, I had to think about what I was going to make. I thought of a vase at first, but then, I changed my design and went for a cookie jar or just a regular jar. When I was working on my coils, I did not use the extruder to create my coils. I simply went “old school” and made my coils by hand, or by rolling them on to the table. For the bottom of my piece, I used the slab roller to create an even look to the bottom. I cut the piece into a circle and from there I started adding and stacking up my coils which will create a jar. I made my piece wide from the bottom and then hallow or thinner towards the top of my piece. After, I stacked the coils and created my base of the jar, I then made a cover for my piece to complete its overall look.

            For the decoration, I did not incise anything, although I added little clay to it. I made little bees using clay and just slip and score them onto my jar. The overall look made it seem like a bee hive with little bees on them. I had fun working on this project. Structural wise, it was sort of difficult because I had to deal with keep the coils together and stable when I stacked them together. Other than that, it was a fun experience.

AR 216 Ceramics
Holly Kane Medina
Section 1

Journal Entries

#2 Journal/Reflection Double Pinch Construction

Please discuss how you began your Double Pinch construction and how you joined the two sections (include photos if you can) and what was your reason for the type green ware decoration used incising, stamping ect.  Please submit the file as a PDF file on-line and make sure you have your name and title of Journal in the file name.  

            The way I began my double pinch pot is simply the same as how I started my single pinch pot. After creating two individual pinch pots, that are the same size, I made score marks around the mouth of the pots and simply added slip on both pots. Then after adding slip, I joined the two bowls together to create a hallow ball. When the two bowls were joined together, I smooth out the excess slip and mush clay together to cover the crease of the two joined bowls.

            With my hallow ball created, on the foot of one bowl, I created an opening and widen the mouth of the piece. From there, I smooth the inside of the ball and smooth out the rest of the ball. For the decoration, I incise a zigzag design with a thick to thin concept, and added little dots to it as well. This project was simple as well, and the structure was a bit difficult to handle. But all in all, I had fun while working on this project.

AR 216 Ceramics
Holly Kane Medina
Section 1

Journal Entries

#1 Journal/Reflection 1st Pinch Construction (Process)

Please discuss how you began your pinch construction (include photos if you can) and what was your reason for the type green ware decoration used incising, stamping etc.  Please submit the file as a PDF file on-line and make sure you have your name and title of Journal in the file name. 

My first pinch pot process was pretty easy. I took me a while to work on the structure of my pinch pot, but I got the hang of it while I was decorating it. First, I took a clump of clay and wedged it out to eliminate air bubbles. Then I mold the piece of clay into a ball. From the center of the ball, I placed my two thumbs and slowly pressed and turned the ball counter clockwise to create a little dome in the middle. Once that little dome was created, I continued to press and stretch the clay to make the dome bigger and wider. It then formed the bowl size I would want and from that step, I turned the bowl over and held a quarter of the end/tip of the bowl and pinched it to make the foot of the bowl. After creating the foot of the bowl, I evenly smoothed my bowl and set it aside for a day.

The next day, the clay was a bit stiff but a little moist still, which made it easier for me to decorate and incise. The decorative design I wanted to make was vines and little flowers or seeds. I used the technique to incise from thick to thin. I created vines that were thick from the root and it thins out towards the end.

Overall, my first pinch pot was a success and turned out how I wanted it to be. I had fun working on this project. J