Project #2

 
 The 2nd hand built project for me was going to be very exciting because I was going to work on a three-dimensional dog head.  Unfortunately, I had spent the week before working on my bowl throwing so I didn't get to my 2nd hand built project until Wednesday. I knew I was going to have trouble completing it so I decided to push the dog back until the time comes to do the third project. Now, for my 2nd project, I decided to take a religious direction.  I am a Christian so God is very, very important in my life.  He gives me strength and motivates me.  I knew I would have to pick a design that wouldn't take too long to do, but at the same time be challenging.  I decided that I was going to do two crosses.  I would create these crosses and then hollow them out.  I would then create (4) nails symbolizing the puncturing devices used to post Jesus on his cross.  In both crosses, the nails will be placed inside, one horizontal and the other vertical.  These nails will be able to be held so they must be able to be removed from the crosses.  I had trouble trying to get a good shape out of the nails.  Because in reality, nails are very strait, I had a lot of trouble attaining that.  I also had difficulty getting the right roundness out of my nails.  The crosses aren't the most crafty looking things you have seen, but I kind of like the way they are turning out.  I kind of want the crosses to have a rock feel to them.  I want them to look like stone.  Hopefully, all goes well.

Bowl Throwing

The clay wheel progressively got harder for me for as we transitioned from cylinders to bowls.  I wasn't used to using two and a half pound clay,  not to mention this unbalanced clay only prevented me from achieving better constructed products.  On my first day using the wheel to throw bowls, I had decided that I was going to use matter porcelain as my choice of clay-medium.  I felt that it was very fluid and allowed for quick balancing/centering; however, my day didn't go as planned for I continued to mess up one bowl after another, pushing "completion" further and further away.  Needless to say, I didn't give up.  I had decided that I was going to complete several bowls the next period, better ones at that.  On Wednesday, I arrived confident and ready to get on the wheel, but upon my arrival, I was informed that we were out of clay.  After an unsuccessful throwing with porcelain the class before, I had made the decision that equal parts or some other clay medium would better suit my needs, but with no clay, I found myself another day behind.  Luckily, I found a little amount of equal parts, enough to make three bowls.  I then sat down on the wheel, trying to center my clay.  The wheel was a little wobbly, but I was eager to balance it  For those of you curious, this time around was a lot more successful.  I was able to balance better because of my patients, and I knew that a good attitude always goes a long way.

Up above are a few pictures of the bowls I had constructed through physics.  The bowl at the bottom got smashed because another student either knocked it over and then put it back afterward, or they set his/her art next to mine and bumped it, but in the end I always believe in  my products for accidents are not "accidents" at all.  They are natural and meant to be....

-I continue to challenge myself for I plan on eventually getting good at the wheel.  Patients is all I need.....

My Artwork

I got to thinking about the quality of my work yesterday.  Personally, I don't think I have been spending enough time on my artwork.  Yes, I have a busy schedule, that is correct.  I go to school five days a week, and I work at UPS from 5:30pm until 10:00pm every night.  This makes it very, very hard for my artwork to compete with the other artists at school; however, I have got to find a balance between school and work that will help me in creating better artwork.

     My work isn't at all satisfying in my opinion.  I have a very high expectancy when it comes to the quality of my artwork and that expectancy is for it to be good.  I can't help it, I get it from my father.  Both him and I are perfectionists and all we do is expect the best out of our work.  I come into school sometimes on weekends so that I can get my artwork done.  It is the only thing I can do to increase the creativity in my projects.  I juggle art and music.  Like my art, I expect my music to carry a pleasant tune.  Art is never perfect, but it can be pleasant and it can inspire others...I hope to inspire others through my artwork...All we can do is hope for the best while putting in tremendous effort! 

  "If you ain't first, you're last" - Talladega Nights.