Wow, twenty posts on going back to school. I'll do one more wrap up blog on it this term. (I'm taking Ceramics 2 next term, so there will be more! The Hobbit Hole is still in the kiln so I'll showcase that one on the last post.)
We're glazing now. And my pieces are coming out of the kiln.
I'll confess, it's like Christmas. I know how I wanted them to look, but I've never done it before so it's a surprise! The uncertainty of glazing is pushing my comfort zone. You see, I like to know what's coming up. I like having a plan. I can plan all I want with glazing, but it's still a crap shoot. I can look at chips of how a glaze reacts to our clay body, but there are variables and even experienced potters can be surprised by a glazing result.
I'm doing my report on Rob Barnard, I've talked about him before. (You can read the post here.) His career is built around controlled chaos. He can plan and bring to a project his years of experience, but things still just happen. “A key dimension of Barnard's aesthetic has been a tolerance for the slight irregularities and imperfections engendered by the wood-firing, and this new work goes a step further. The shows inclusion of a number of cracked and dented works indicates a Zen-like acceptance of all of nature's workings, not merely those that suit the preset needs of man. The results are highly poetic." (Rob Barnard by Alice Thorson, City Paper, Washington, April 26, 1991)
So, I glazed my cups trying to be free and not worry. I experimented. And even though my Kiln Goddess's arms fell off, I'm confident I can glue them back in place. And maybe I love her just a little more because she's damaged.
I tried for a bit more control with my teapot and Hobbit Hole, realizing that glazing effects can surprise even the most experienced potter, like Barnard and Professor H. I'm hoping for the best. The professor was very patient answering my repeated questions.
And my teapot (the quote on the back is from Carry Her Heart...the heroine's garden was the inspiration) I really wanted the matte, rough tree look for the body, but the glossy, color for the flowers, butterfly and leaf on the lid. I'm so pleased with how it turned out.
So here's what I'm walking out of class with...a renewed effort to push my own limitations; to push my personal status quo; to experiment. To find glee in even my failures. So this class not only gave me an entry into earth art, but it also pushed me to try to relax my expectations. I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! And thanks for being so sweet and following me on this new journey! I'm already so excited about next term!
Holly
PS If you missed any of my Novel Freshman Experience posts, here are links:
Part 19, Part 18, Part 17, Part 16, Part 15, Part 14, Part 13, Part 12, Part 11, Part 10, Part 9, Part 8, Part 7 Part Six, Part 5, Part 4, Part 3, Part 2, Part 1
My Hobbit Hole is coming along. I'm hoping all the pieces hold together when it's fired, but even if it explodes, I've learned so much doing this one. I've played with a bunch of textures. Stone, thatch, grass, bushes, trees, bricks, stucco... I'm particularly pleased with the fallen tree in the back.
I didn't plan on the tree, but I had that rocky outcrop at the back. I was thinking about Bilbo and crew going through the mountains. The paths were treacherous, there were obstacles at every turn. That's the story I was telling with the fallen tree. And for me, it's all about the story.
Maybe that's why I'm loving this class so much...because every piece I make is a story. You might not see my story when you look at a piece, and that's okay. You can bring your own story to it. Because for me, it's all about the story...whether it's yours or mine.
I keep blogging about how art (even if what I'm doing might not quite qualify as art yet! LOL) and writing are connected. This "dwelling" project really emphasizes that for me. The last project is a narrative piece. Stay tuned for more about that.
By the way, thank you so much to all my new followers! And thanks to everyone who's picked up one of my books, taken the time to write a review, or dropped me a note!
Holly
PS If you missed any of my Novel Freshman Experience videos, here they are...Part Fourteen, Part Thirteen, Part Twelve, Part Eleven, Part Ten, Part Nine, Part Eight, Part Seven, Part Six, Part Five, Part Four, Part Three, Part Two, Part One
PSS. Here's the new Once Upon a Time Video!!
Wow, twenty posts on going back to school. I'll do one more wrap up blog on it this term. (I'm taking Ceramics 2 next term, so there will be more! The Hobbit Hole is still in the kiln so I'll showcase that one on the last post.) 
So, I glazed my cups trying to be free and not worry. I experimented. And even though my Kiln Goddess's arms fell off, I'm confident I can glue them back in place. And maybe I love her just a little more because she's damaged. 
