My time spent in ceramics 1, 2, and 3 has allowed me to develop a wide variety of skills. First I started off building solid forms and executing basic techniques like creating strong bonds with clay. This skill was prevalent throughout all of my work but most importantly with the letter B we created for the media center. It was important we created strong bonds so the structure was stable enough to stand flat on its own.

Next I began working on my tree which was a project that took up a large portion of my time. I had to focus on created strong bonds with this clay but I also incorporated new skills. One of the skills was piping on a screened slip onto the clay to create foliage details. This was at first difficult for me to create the effect I wanted, but I soon learned how to improve my methods to create the look I wanted.

I started working on the wheel after my tree was completed and began throwing larger bowls. It took me a few days to create the vessel I wanted and after letting it dry for a day so the form was sturdier, I piped on a foliage design on the bowl using the same method I had used for my previous projects. I was very pleased with the results and happy to see I was improving at the piping technique.

I stayed working on the wheel for the rest of the year and overcame the constant challenges the wheel ‘throws’ at you. My next two projects were different forms, one was a bowl, and the other was a short vase. I appreciated the vase form the most as it has a thinner lip that took a long time for me to successfully make. Overall this was a very successful year in ceramics 3 and I hope to continue taking ceramics in college as a few of my elective classes.