Blog #17

1. I feel like we should have tried more ways of throwing clay in the wheel (the doughnut teapot was an amazing project). Other than that I think our projects were pretty diverse and covered a wide range of topics.

2. I'm not sure if it's so much as a style as a mindset going into the project. I try to change it up, challenge myself, and just make it pleasing to look at.

3. I do feel that I've progressed and improved in the finesse and detail I put into a piece. I like how I've been experimenting with new glaze combinations not sampled and making my pieces larger in size. I could improve on throwing techniques and sculpture.

4. I enjoyed the blogs! I felt so professional posting pictures of my artwork. But in all seriousness, it is very helpful to have all the pictures of your work in one place. I also thought the blog posts on artwork, artists, and inspiration were interesting and enriching. It's cool how you can see the progression of your artwork over the year. If our blogs had all our work since our first ceramics class, it would be so intriguing to see the timeline of a young artist maturing into skilled and somewhat experienced ceramist.

Sgraffito Jar Final Project

This is a sgraffito jar but not mine (I'm pretty sure it's in the kiln). My sgraffito jar is about Cleopatra Philopator and has hieroglyphics on the sides that say 'Queen Cleopatra.' The lid of the jar is the representation of the goddess Isis; Cleopatra represented herself as Isis to her people to gain respect and popularity.

Final "Choice" project

Wax resist

Teapot final project

Festival of The Arts

           I unfortunately did not take any pictures at the Festival of The Arts but I thought it was a wonderful event that allowed young artists to showcase their work. Having all my work together and on display was a very different experience and made me feel a little proud of all the hard work I put into each piece. You never really know the impact of your work until they're all together and on display. The festival definitely had a sentimental tinge as it would be our last time being with these same talented people but it was an enjoyable event overall and a huge success.

Cleopatra VII Philopator

    Cleopatra ruled Egypt along with her Father and brothers at first but later on became the sole pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Wanting to get rid of her brother/husband Ptolemy XIII and have the throne for herself, she escapes to Julius Caesar, hidden in a rug, to enlist him in helping her. Thus begins her affair with Caesar and produces a son, Ptolemy Caesar, nine months later. Citizens of Rome hated the Egyptian queen for Caesar was still married and yet he still flaunted his affair with statues and gifts to Cleopatra. After Caesar's assassination, Cleopatra meets Marc Antony and they eventually get married (although he is already married) and have three children. When Roman forces invaded Egypt, Marc Antony was killed and Cleopatra committed suicide; the specifics are not clear but records suggest that she was bit by an Egyptian cobra. It is assumed from her several conquests of powerful men that she was a woman of great beauty, charm, and wit. Cleopatra also represented herself as a reincarnation of the Egyptian goddess, Isis, and the Egyptians regarded her as just that, a goddess.

Death of Cleopatra

Julius Caesar

Marc Antony

Cleopatra meeting Caesar

Isis

Final dinnerware design

Final Sprig project

Final realism pictures

Finished Installation pics

Put them all together :)

realism picture

Final Installation Pictures

Work In Progress

Multiples project

Donut teapot

Donut Teapot

http://ladynin.com/donutteapot.html

http://www.ratliffpotteryandtile.com/images/yellow_donut_teapot.jpg

http://www.brushyforkcreek.com/IMG_0769.JPG

http://www.funcollections.com/ENK-627-Cat-on-Donut-Shaped-Teapot-_p_618.html

http://images.replacements.com/images/images5/china/S/sadek_blue_and_white_donut_shape_tea_pot_and_lid_P0000305476S0045T2.jpg

Finished Cups on Loan

Ron Mueck

He is an Australian hyper-realist sculptor; he started off as a model maker and a puppeteer. Mueck depicts the human body in great detail in his works but never makes them life-sized because according to him, "...it never seemed to be interesting. We meet life-size people every day." He uses multimedia such as latex, fiberglass resin, and hair to complete his sculptures and on average takes up to 4 weeks on each of his projects.       


http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/ron_mueck/images/in_bed_542.jpg
http://insomni-art.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ron-mueck-4.jpg
http://www.boingboing.net/images/51681233.jpg
http://www.theylta.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Ron-Mueck2.jpg

Sunflower Seeds

- Small porcelain pieces that are painted to resemble sunflower seeds.

- In order to make these "sunflower seeds," the workers get large boulders of clay and add water to create a proper texture for the porcelain. The porcelain was then poured into molds of sunflower seeds. These "seeds" are then fired, haindpainted by the locals from the town of Jingdezhen, and then fired again.

- The project is more successful as handpainted replicas because it's made by the people and holds more value; it's as if the Chinese population is being represented through these porcelain seeds.

- All the materials are handmade; the porcelain was taken from the Chinese earth, this gave the seeds strong ties to China and its people.

- The purpose of this installation is to protest against the oppressive government in China. If the seeds represent the people and their need for comfort and safety, the enormous amount of seeds he made conveys the message of how important it is for the government to focus on pleasing its people instead of harassing them.

- The sunflower seeds represent the Chinese people and are a symbol of comfort, security, and stability to the people during Mao Zedong's regime.

Work In Progress

Research

    Lorna Meaden's work is heavily inspired by 18th century European porcelain and silver works. Her pieces use a lot of line, shape, and color to convey a feeling of an older era. I chose this artist because her mugs had great shape in them that we don't see too often in the 21st century. I also liked the glazes she used to give it an antique air. Lorna currently lives in Durango, Colorado and works as a full time potter; she uses and prefers porcelain over any other type of clay. She has a MFA in ceramics and a BA in art and has taught ceramics in several colleges. Lorna has received many awards over the years such as the Sean Shanahan Purchase Award, the Merchandise Award, and the Elmor E. Craig Award. She has also represented her artwork in  galleries such as the Harvey/Meadows Gallery in Aspen, Colorado and The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.


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<a href="http://www.austinchronicle.com/binary/216b/arts_feature-39157.jpeg"></a>
<a href="http://lornameaden.com/images/Gallery/Theis%20Gallery/Full%20Size%20Pages/Watering%20Can.htm"></a>
<a href="http://media.ceramicartsdaily.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/lorna-meaden-pitcher.jpg"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alissa_steve/452682648/"></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEvczkE9xVsKK93JYS0yjAgDHT2mHx3RjyMuHq4LPmxrk8LQcb8q-heQthb-0HCAQPwlfUJPM1VADem4gzOkhLTK6u0gDLuYDnvyUoxp3PpOz30je3A96jl78kifbBEzMMsaWjAdmARnGD/s320/Lorna_Meaden.jpg"></a>

Assignment #1

a) I think this is a very innovative program and the very idea of borrowing mugs is quite bizarre to me. Nevertheless, I believe it will be successful in its mission to infuse a little bit of art in the homes of all people and encourage “cultural interchange.” An increase in publicity would greatly benefit this cause; I’m sure the more people who know about this amazing opportunity, the more people would participate. Social outreach programs such as this are important because they educate and bring awareness of many cultural movements to people of all backgrounds. If similar rules and consequences are maintained, then I am sure that this program will be as effective and beneficial at our high school.