STUDENT PROFILE - SARAH CHANG

THROWN BOWLS & PLATES

CERAMICS II

clay, glazes, potter's wheel & ceramic pencils

It was an absolute joy to work with senior Sarah Chang  again in the Intermediate clay class.

The first half of the year was spent handbuilding and the second half 

learning to throw on the potter's wheel.

Here we see Sarah in her 4th quarter where she is learning to throw bowls and plates,

and also how to trim a foot on their bottoms.

We see one of her bowls here that she threw with Porcelain clay.

Teaching anyone to throw on the potter's wheel is one of the most difficult learning curves there is.

However,

Sarah took to the wheel like a duck to water.

Amazingly she had no big struggle like most do.  

She just sat down and was able to  replicate every move I'd shown her.

It was quite remarkable.

I have another student this year who also was able to throw from day one,

junior Julia Ruiz.

Hopefully we will see her work before the end of the school year.

Ha ha

But at the rate I'm going it might take a couple more months.

Because this is a second level course,

surface design becomes even more important.

So above,

 Sarah was required to decorate her Porcelain bowl by using a ceramic pencil and draw a design

on top of her bisqueware,

then to dip it into a Transparent glaze.

Ceramic pencils are Metallic Oxides packed into a pencil form that can be sharpened.

Next on this plate she was required to overlap multiple glazes for a really cool effect.

I'm pretty sure she first dipped into our Cobalt Blue glaze then put one of our greens over top.

Love all the swirly marbleizing she achieved.

Almost looks like a crystaline glaze.

Here you can see the nice foot she trimed onto the backside of her plate.

Beautiful work Sarah, 

it was such a pleasure to work with you for 2 years in a  row.

END OF WEEK TWO

THROWING ON THE POTTER'S WHEEL

CERAMICS II

potter's wheel & clay

We are seeing some mighty good progress at the end of our second week on the wheel.

They have all got the hang of centering the clay,

and are now practicing recentering passes 

and pulling up and thinning their walls.

Doing the "donut".

We are not seeing much height yet, 

possibly we will by the end of next week.

We have two students who have now thrown their required two cylinders

and are ready to move onto vase forms next.

Senior Klyne M is having the time of her life on the wheel,

while senior Eryne B. is recycling her slippy bucket of clay.

Clean up is the worse part.

But instead of taking 15 minutes like it did the first week,

they've got it down to 10.  "_

Happy Throwing!!

A SNEAK PREVIEW

THROWING ON THE POTTER'S WHEEL

CERAMICS II

potter's wheels & clay

LOLOLOLOLOL

Week I

It's way harder than they thought

ha ha ha

I'VE SAID IT BEFORE...IT'S ALL ABOUT SURFACE DESIGN

WHEEL THROWN BOWLS AND PLATES

CERAMICS II

clay, glazes. oxides, ceramic pencil & wax resist

Second Semester's intermediate clay kids learn to throw on the potter's wheels,

and in the 4th Quarter they do bowls and plates.

They are required to alter the plastic wheel thrown pots before we send them to be fired

for added interest.

And then after the first firing

 are required to try out different decorative techniques with glazing.

In this first glorious piece senior Cindy Ryoo altered her work by cracking off the edges

for an organic treatment.

And the technique she used here for glazing was done with glaze,

wax resist and oxides. 

Both sides were so extraordinary I had to take a pix of each.

I almost forgot,

They also learned to trim the bottom of the bowls and plates 

as you can see below.

Only the piece on the left was altered along the rim/lip, 

so the others must have been for extra credit.

But all of these beauties belong to senior Sameera Ahmed.

Her glazing from left to right:

glaze with sponged on wax then oxide over top,

(top middle) glaze with painted oxide design,

(bottom middle) ceramic pencil with transparent glaze over top,

and glaze with wax design and then oxide brushed over.

These last three all belong to senior Jue Eun Lee.

Honestly,

 I can't tell /remember how she achieved the very atmospheric look on the piece above left,

but it sure is cool!

Piece on right is wax resit design with glaze over top.

And then everyone's favorite was this one Jue Eun did with ceramic pencil

and transparent glaze over.

It was so special from so many angles.

LONG TIME NO SEE

WHEEL THROWN POTS

CERAMICS II

clay, oxides  & glazes

It's been a while since I posted about my Ceramics II kids.  

They are alive and well,

mastering the art of the potter's wheel.

Senior Nicholas Tudor really struggled at first 

but reached his aa hh moment several weeks ago, 

and is now thoroughly enjoying throwing on the wheel.

Mastering the throwing process came a bit sooner for senior Sameera Ahmad.

We only have 5 electric wheels and one kick wheel.

Usually no one wants the kick but Sameera claimed it for her own.

She has the advantage of a nice large tray to set all her throwing equipment, 

a sturdy metal back splash to brace her arms on, 

and an adjustable seat.

Here are some of their finished pieces.

Above we have 3 pieces by senior Cindy Ryoo.

I've required my students for the first time this year 

to alter the surface of each of the pots they turn in for grading.

(they may do whatever they want with their extra credit works)

On this next one by Nick Tudor,

he has tried out ceramic pencil for surface design.

Ceramic pencils are oxides in pencil form.

The kids love drawing with them right onto the bisqueware 

and then putting Transparent glaze over top.

Nick also glazed the top and bottom edges with our Tan glaze for a bit of contrast.

And this little cutie is the work of senior Yasmeem Pardo.

Great flowy lip with multiple glazes doing cool things on the surface.

But Mom, it was my first time on the Potter's Wheel!

This is how senior Kevin Luong went home from school not to long ago after trying the potter's wheel for the first time.  Senior Brendon Lim, also looked pretty similiar when he finished.  What I love is that the both of them were brave enough to try their hand at a very difficult global skill.  So kudos to the both of you plus a bit of extra credit as well!