I hope that spring has gotten off to a great start for all of you! This is a post that I have been meaning to put together for a while now, but getting all the pictures together took longer than I expected.
Last term, I took an introductory ceramics class. It was not my first foray into ceramics (I took a ceramics elective in middle school) but I learned more about ceramics and art in general than I expected to. It was definitely challenging as our professor has very high expectations for our work and therefore the class was a huge time commitment! (No one ever tells you that art classes require so much of time and effort!)
We had four projects over the course of the term, the first was an abstract sculpture. This was our introduction to ceramic sculpture, where each of us had to make a box, sphere, and cylinder. After we made each of these shapes, we had to create an abstract sculpture with them, by cutting the shapes and putting them back together in new and interesting ways.
The second project was a transformation project where we were supposed to make a common object and transform it. I chose to create a photo album and use a technique called bas relief, a form of carving, to bring the photographs in my album to life. This was my favorite project; I really love how the sculpture turned out! The glazing took forever though!
Our third project was an animal sculpture, and I chose to do a starfish in its ocean environment. As a base, I created a rock, and attached the starfish, sea snails, a sea anemone, and a sea urchin. The attachments took a while, as some of the sea creatures were quite delicate and ended up deformed by the time they were securely attached to the rock.Overall, I think it turned out pretty well; I was so relieved that the sea urchin and sea anemone survived the multiple firings!
The final project was a mask. Honestly, I wasn't too excited about this project; I have never been a fan of masks in general. But I chose to do a traditional Middle Eastern mask, and I have to say my favorite part was the mustache, it looks pretty realistic!
Overall, I really enjoyed this class and so glad I took it! I think it is really important to take classes you are excited about in college. Obviously, you have to focus on general ed and major requirements, but if you can take a "fun" class or two a year, you definitely should. It helps break up the often overwhelming cycle of reading textbooks, writing papers, and studying for exams (even if it is a subject you love, it can be exhausting). So take a unique class, and enjoy it. It is a great way to explore a hobby or discover a new one!