Hello! Well it has already been a ride this semester. Personal distractions aside (floods are fun), I have been incredibly happy to be back on campus and getting my hands dirty in the ceramics and sculpture studios. So here’s what I have been working on!
Ceramics – I have started a project that will combine hand-building, throwing, sculptural elements, and metal work. Pictured are the starts of the hand-build, sculpted pair of lobsters that will form the belly of my vessel. These will be transplanted and formed into the main band of the piece. The plan from there is to throw a bottom and a rim for the piece in clay. Once the clay is fired (and fingers crossed, survives in one piece), I can form a copper cage with handles that will hold the final glassed ceramic lobster vase. I am looking forward to taking my time with this. I have a very clear vision in my head for the final piece and it is an excellent challenge to try to stick to that to the best of my ability.
Sculpture II – Our first project in Sculpture was to consider the word “childhood” and find an object that related to our childhoods to use as inspiration. We were also told that the piece was to be formed from metal wire and one other material. This prompt lead me to sketch a small demon fairy made from copper and textile scrap- I will find a more articulate segue from the prompt to my item to my final story in my completed artist statement for the piece, but she is essentially the will of a child’s magical thinking crawling out of the pit of childhood to find a home in adulthood.
I have started to solder her head together and I am guardedly optimistic about my progress. Pictured are the bones of her wings- hammered, pointed, and filed, ready for drilling and riveting- and one of her antlers- hammered, filed, cut and shaped. Once her metal is assembled, she will get fabric webbing in her wings, a dress, and chain to climb that is to be ceiling mounted.
Oh, and my cat, Lamb, helped my take the photos. She is a good girl and a great helper (sometimes).
What’s Playing – It always sounds like an excuse to say that I have been too busy for music; I’ve been relying on old favorite playlists. But I have a plan for myself- as the year wanes, I like looking back on my music to begin to weed out the songs I don’t want to listen to for the coming year. I am jumping the gun this year but I have it on my mind to make some new playlists for myself. Your goal and mine this week- find something different to listen to and start a new playlist from it. See what you find!
