STANDING OUT IN A CROWD

REALISTIC CLAY HEAD RATTLES

CERAMICS I

clay, glazes, & oxides

I always love to see all the students heads loaded onto the cart.

So many personalities, cultures, hairstyles and expressions.

So much fun.

Here is another assignment that the kids fear going in, 

but end up giggling and really enjoying themselves.

Let's take a look.

Our first colorful one was done by junior Sara Ryave.

She used all four of our oxides and stained the bisqueware first,

then put our Transparent glaze over top.

So unique and eye catching.

Junior Michelle Son brought in a picture of movie star Marilyn Monroe.

I was so impressed with how well she pulled this face off,

but it's the hair that really calls to me.

And junior Richard Montes chose his cultural background to pull from.

Love the strong facial structure and the very cool headdress.

These two highly expressive faces were done by seniors Augustine Lee & Ashley Scott.

Senior Christian Balbido & junior Jaclyn Dong both really got into this assignment,

Christian doing a portrait of his father that I felt looked very realistic.

We end with junior Lina Kim's grandmother.

I felt it was a beautiful portrait,

Lina expressed that she thought it was so-so.

These kids are always so hard on themselves,

so that when they do like something they've made I get really happy.

I love that Lina added the flowers on her grandmother's shoulder.

A very special touch.

OOPS, ONE MORE

COIL POT

CERAMICS I

clay, glaze & oxides

Here is one more beauty from last years beginning students.

Found it hiding in my pix.

The only bummer is I can't remember who made,

but I will try to find out.

WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK

CLAY WHISTLES

CERAMICS I

clay, glazes, & oxides

In the past several years for the whistle unit,

we have done Burnished Non-Objective Whistles,

but last year I decided to bring back Realistic & Abstracted Whistles;

they actually resemble something or are a made up creature.

The kids had a blast and brought in a lot of whimsy.

Making the clay actually whistle is a real challenge,

but last year the kids caught on pretty quickly,

like junior Dustine Ansiboy above.

We all were highly impressed with her realistic heart form

as well as how she glazed it with ceramic watercolors & Transparent glaze.

We were also super delighted by the rest of these whistles you will see.

Like the one above left by senior Christian Balbido.

The addition of the hat and nose brings in a bit of fun.

Senior Renee Kim choose to try a more realistic view of her shark on the right.

You can kind of see where you place your lips to blow on Renee's shark nose.

Senior Ashley Scott made the adorable piggy on the left.

I love that she placed his smile to the right

as this adds so much personality.

And junior Michelle Son went with a made-up creature with a slightly fierce expression.

Lastly we have senior Shreya Gupta, and juniors Lina Kim and Angela Mak.

Adorable,

 right?

I was told once by alumni Megan King that making her clay piece whistle 

was a highlight of her Whitney High School days.

Makes me so happy!!   

ASYMMETRY IS KEY

PINCH VASE FORMS

CERAMICS I

clay, glazes, staining oxides

After learning how to make a pinch pot in in the beginning clay class,

we take it one step further and make an enclosed asymmetrical form

by putting two pinch bowls together and paddling them into a pleasing form to the eye.

I do ask them to try for asymmetry because many of them have never tried that before,

and they find it quite appealing.

I'm also requiring added surface design.

This one by junior Sara Ryave was one of my favorites because of the bulbous form,

the beautifully incised designs,

and the way she finished it with colored oxide staining.

I also really liked this next one by junior Dustine Ansiboy

because of that flattened side with the texture showing thru the glaze,

 as well as the way the Rutile Oxide looks over top our Tan glaze.

And this one was so unique in it's form and glazing 

to make it a standout by senior Augustine Lee. 

My eye also really enjoyed this one by junior Lina Kim because she has captured a lot of movement

by pressing the edge of the paddle into the clay's surface 

creating a cocoon looking vase.

I also look at it and see a pregnant Middle Eastern garbed woman.

I'm wondering if Dustine used that as her inspiration.

This can be a fast-paced  & fun technique,

so several of the kids made a couple.

Here are Lina & Dustine again with their extra credit pieces.

The opening for the vase had to be asymmetrically positioned as well,

and required an organic opening;

ripping, folding over, etc.

We end with junior Richard Montes' gently undulating stamped form.

And don't you just love that bit of glaze snaking over the top rim?

I hadn't done this assignment for quite some time so it was really great to bring it back

and see the marvelous works these kids came up with.

A NEW ASSIGNMENT

GARDEN TOTEMS

CERAMICS II

clay, glazes, oxides, wood blocks and dowels

I've been doing a lot of researching on Pinterest these last couple of years for new ideas

for all my classes.

After so many years of teaching,

I really enjoy changing things up.

Well this project proved to be a real game changer.

I feel it took these 2nd year clay students to completely new heights.

I'm so very thrilled and proud to share them with all of you!

This first amazing work of art,

which stood about 3 feet high after mounting,

 was created by junior Chloe Chang.

It was so very pleasing in how she balanced all her pieces,

with  the arrow piercing thru them all.

But what really caught my eye was the incised and carved textural elements,

even in the smallest beads.

Bravo Chloe!!

Your wood base is lovely as well,

and compliments the piece very nicely.

The six 2nd year students all agreed that this one by junior Eugene Ho 

was so much fun and possibly their favorite.

They are still talking about it as this years kids start theirs.

We all loved the playful & whimsical sea creatures he created,

and make sure to look closely at how beautifully he glazed his turtle 

which sits on the wood base below.

Senior Sarah Oh really pushed herself and created a gallery worthy sculpture here.

This one piece could have easily gotten her into any art college in the country.

And it actually did!

She ended up with several top schools to choose from.

We were all so excited with how incredible this piece turned out.

Her handling of the glaze on the fish head was brilliant due to her amazing painting skills

in my 2-d classes as well as her outside Art Academy.

I also really liked how she watercolored on top of the wood base.

You really are quite gifted Sarah!

This last gorgeous work was made by senior Ylia Madayag.

Ocean based and beautifully glazed and put together,

I was just over the top pleased with how it turned out.

I especially loved all her little ocean pieces she made separating the larger ones

and how she glazed them.

I can't wait to hear from all of you and get your feedback on this latest assignment.

My current 2nd year students just began working on this project and they are so excited.

Can't wait to show off their pieces next year!

JUST ONE MORE PINCH

PINCH POTS

CERAMICS I

clay, glazes & oxides

I just ran into this pinch pot last night and felt I needed to include it

even though I've already posted Pinch Pots from this last school year.

It's a sweet piece for several reasons.

Firstly it was made by senior Catheine Lu who created marvelous pieces all thru the school year.

Most of the kids made bowls for this assignment,

but another option were mugs.

Catherine developed a very pleasing "S" curve for her form,

a nicely shaped handle that flows with it,

and then her glazing was well thought out.

The blue glaze on the inside is balanced by the Cobalt Blue Oxide

 she painted on over top the leaves on the outside.

And the Jade glaze (which is very difficult to use),

was applied perfectly.

Bravo young Catherine,

I will miss you.

WORKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

SLAB BOXES

CERAMICS I

clay, oxides and glazes

Traditional slab boxes can be pretty boring 

so let's see what these kids have done to hold our attention.

Senior Avanthi Dev created a cool ball sculpture on top of her lid that slides down the walls.

Now that catches my eye as does the way she glazed her piece.

Senior Lauren Kennedy carved out the tip top of her lid and added balls down the side of her pyramid which gets me at first,

but it's her glaze finish that really holds my eye.

First it looks like she used white clay disks on the sides of pot that look like moons,

had the box bisque fired,

and then she put her glaze on and brushed Red Iron Oxide over top for a really atmospheric look.

Love it!

Junior Vincent Nguyen shaped his box like a flower (very difficult to do),

and then carved out the top area to melt glass shards into for the final glaze firing.

Striking Vincent!

And love the blue glaze on the inside as well.

Next up is senior Eunice Shim.

She created a very complex slab using our red & white clay in a checkerboard pattern

even before she began her box.

So much extra effort and time.

When the kids do something that extra special I always give them a few extra credit points 

because they've exceeded the minimum requirements by a lot.

Also check out the inside bottom and see the script she has collaged down. 

This next one by senior Sarah Oh made everyone smile,

and the eyes she collaged down after the glaze fire were so realistic.

Here is the inside.

I like how she overlapped a few of our glazes to vary the colors inside yet they still feel unified.

 Here we have  senior Sahil Doshi & junior Renee Lin

Both pieces are glazed so beautifully that they stand on their own with no gimmicks.

One of my favorites was made by junior Simran Doshi.

I was really impressed that she thought to have her box open in several sections.

Here we see how it works.

So cool Simi!!

I also enjoy the contrast between your light glaze on the outside and dark on the inside.

Next up is superstar senior Ashley Iseri.

The clay not only loves her but apparently I learned by reading the text on her box here

 that she is an outstanding ball player as well.

Not the melted clear glass shards on top where she carved away an area for them?

So this box is a self-portrait of the young star.

Clever idea Ashley,

and we are very proud that you played for our school "The Wildcats".

According to her box she is off to play for the University of Hawaii Pacific 

this her Freshman year.

We end once again with sophomore Olivia Krueger

 because of  her remarkable "outside of the box" critical thinking skills.

Love, love , LOVE the hand morphing from the box!

And the lovely glaze & oxide application she did.

This is our Tan glaze with Rutile oxide brushed over top.

Also note the locking lid design along her side walls.