My head is pounding with the looming deadline of my spacelab show and ceramics critiques. On top of the fact that I'm taking my first foreign language class in 13 years.... I'm spread thin. I definitely know that one of my weaknesses is becoming mentally paralyzed when I'm overwhelmed. Ben had been feeling it too, and the other day we were talking our way through it. I realized what's been working for me is to keep pushing through. Even if I'm not checking off as much as I had wanted to on my to-do-list... I'm still checking something off and lessening the load. That makes it lighter to carry on and keep going.
This week I have struggled with craftsmanship. I do not want to rush my intricate line work. They lead the eye with illusions and shock the viewer when observed closer. The line work and patterns are it for me in my pieces. It'd be much faster to fly through them, and the pope piece I'm working on is giving me the biggest delay in regards to finishing out the border with tic-marks.
I have been finding more time to make. Yesterday I spent 11 hrs in the ceramics studio trying hard to throw on the wheel and collaborating with Rebeka Trapp on our nude figure. Rebeka helped me drag the couch from the hallway in to the Mac and let the kids have a movie night/pajama party complete with clay playtime. It worked like a charm! We ordered pizza, and the kids moved between working on clay and watching PBS.
Rebeka and I finished the chest and shoulders, made and took off the arms (problem solving the final form in regards to censorship and shape), and fixed the back, bottom, and legs to our figure. I also finally threw on the wheel! I made four vessels that are now drying. I went through the heavy grout clay making a hole in the side of my hand. Shannon gave me some of her clay without grout, and I was surprised how much weaker it was. I think I'm going to toughen up and just use the higher grout earthenware for the future.
Rebeka and I have plans for our second collaboration. We're hoping to start next week and have it ready for the senior show.
Ben came in at 11:30p to pick us up and jumped onto the wheel throwing an awesome dish/candle holder first try... I'm talking him into coming in and trying to throw again soon. I had given him directions on how to center the clay, but that was all the advice I gave him. Took me three weeks of trying, and he does it in one shot. We might have another ceramics major on our hands.
Stephanie took this of my first shot at the wheel. Sam, Cory, Miri, Brian, Deanna, Me, and Megan (with Rebeka back in the right in her studio).
Also on my to-do-list is the small child for the cyclops piece, and I have to paint all the spiderlings for an installation on Tuesday as well as for the spacelab show.
I used metal adhesive to fix my jackalope piece from my first ceramics class. I'll need to finish it with a bit of color and staining along with the rabbit bases. Debating on if I'm going to fire my cat shrine or not. It cracked a bit, but I was told it's still worth firing. I'd like to go ahead with it, but in my frustration I put a heavy load on top of it and broke the antlers at top as well.
yet to be fired. the slab cracked a bit on the left.
head comes off for a tea-light candle to glow through the eyes.
Jackalope has been fired and is just waiting for some color and stain. Coil built.
Fixed the front feet, more rabbit-like. Made imprints like velveteen fur, but I wanted some muscle and bones to show.
*update, got a little further than this with the stretching rabbit (rabbit #2).
Together.
All three unworked, partially done, and drying.
Peeves did this for about 20 minutes trying to get me to stop drawing. I just drew with one eye... it was a stand off.
slowly but surely... I think I put more 9b graphite in it and stained the tortoise shell glasses. I hope it takes all of a day to wrap this up next week.
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