These past 2 weeks I’ve been working on Ouroboros cauldrons. Last semester I made a standing ouroboros sculpture and since then I’ve been thinking about other ways to add the symbol to my work. I never considered myself a fan of snakes (or an enemy) but lately, I have felt called to them, especially their symbolism. However, I have spotted about 3 snakes this summer on my adventures, which is not something that usually happens to me at all, let alone 3 times. Maybe it is a sign to make more snake-themed things! The ancient symbol of Ouroboros represents the eternal cycle of destruction and creation; death and rebirth. To me, it is a powerful reminder of the cycles of life and a way to feel more connected to them. The cauldron is a symbol of birth and rebirth, creation and destruction as well as a womb. To me, these symbols complement each other perfectly.

I thought of a few different ways that I could attach the snake to the cauldron but settled on it going around and coming away from the cauldron where the handles go. I threw the cauldron on the wheel, they are my absolute favorite things to make! I made the snake body from a coil and sculpted the face later. Lastly, the feet of the cauldron are coils also. Mark has a handy dandy scale rolling tool that I used for the texture of the snake and it is subtle but the glaze sits on it very nicely and makes it look realistic. It is much easier than adding the scales by hand, which I almost attempted. I love the placement of the snake and the fact that it is functional. I am excited to get them into the bisque kiln to be fired so that I can glaze them! I feel like I have been making a lot of pieces but I haven’t seen any finished ones yet so it doesn’t feel like I’ve done much. Next week we will have our first kiln unloading of the semester, or as we call it, Kiln Christmas. One of my favorite things about ceramics is the anticipation of it all and the surprises.