How my FMP2 developed.

My Aim was to produce a range of high quality functional and useable ceramic boxes.

I did this by experimenting with two different methods of making the boxes, slab building and slip casting them. I tried both methods out as I feel that I needed to improve on my slab building and this technique allowed me to manipulate the clay by pushing objects into the clay to create textures and surface pattern. I am more confident in the mould making/slip casting process so along with the slab built boxes I created a range of slip casted boxes as I feel that they will be more sophisticated.

The concept behind this project was to create a range of handmade ceramic boxes which can be used in a different ways e.g., storing special objects, jewellery, memories, photos in one place and keep them safe in the boxes or just to have them on display. As inspiration I looked at a wide range of designer/makers focusing on form and surface pattern

 The colour scheme:

Using the stains I have bought from Potclays and the glazes from Mayco these were the colour scheme. (Nice bright colours?)

To experiment I used the stains in 3 different ways:

·      Mixing the stain to water and then painting it on bisque pieces

·      Mixing the stain to the clear glaze

·      Mixing the stain to the slip so the colour is already in the clay.

·      The method which worked best was mixing the stain and the dry clear mix together as this gave the best solid block colour

Adding surface pattern:

·         I pushed a selection my jewellery into the clay to get an impression.

This will gave me a selection of different imprints and depths in the clay.

The forms

Step by step:

Slab built boxes:

·         For the forms I rolled out slabs of clay and then pressed my jewellery pieces into the clay to get an impression

·         Then bisque fire them to have a stamp (which will let me create the same pattern over and over again)

·         Then I cut up the clay slabs when at the leather hard stage and make slab boxes.

·         After the slab box had gone leather hard, I made plaster moulds of the boxes so could slip cast them and create replicas.

·         To show development I made different sizes of the slab built boxes. Also I decided to leave the feeds on some of the slip casted boxes to see what this would look like. I liked the outcome.

Another method of creating the boxes

Slip Casted Boxes

·         I Created 3 different sized boxes with lids to fit in plaster, and then created 3 part moulds.

·         With having the moulds this allowed me to play around with surface pattern.

·         I  created collections of boxes, some plain, some textured

Overall I am very pleased with this project and feel I could continue this project and develop it more as I could create different patterns to place on to the boxes.

 Slip casted boxes, with coloured stains and clear glaze over the top

  Slip casted boxes, with feeds left on, coloured glaze on inside, clear out the outside  

 Slip casted boxes developed, with coloured glaze on inside, clear out the outside  

Slip casted boxes developed, with feeds left on, coloured glaze on inside, clear out the outside  

FIRST TERM COMPLETE!

With the first set of work set up I can now relax!

Year 3 WORK!

Carrying on with the theme of Found Objects, I first collected a wide range of objects which I found around the home and other places.

 To start my work I have to create moulds from the objects I did this straight away as I was thrilled to get started and create objects.

To start off with I did some test tiles, I had some terracotta clay left over so I decided to use this and used coloured slips over the top and added textures to them. I was very pleased with the out come.

So I began drawing and came up with these ideas shown in the image below. To experiment with colour I decided to add stains to the slip to see what this would look like. I did some examples and this is how they came out, but unfortunately i applied to much glaze on the pieces so they so they don’t look to nice.

So back to the development stage, I went back to the moulds and did a lot of slip casting so I had a look of shapes to work with. So with having all the objects around me I started experimenting with them by cutting them in half, turning them upside down, cutting areas away and so on.

I as I liked the feel of the terracotta clay I bought some in slip form, and did some casts in this. Then I added to coloured slips to the casted objects to show a variation from the white background to the brown background to see how the glazes/slips react to the different clay bodies. 

SO with the first batch back I began to glaze the pieces, I used a clear glaze on two pieces. One being completely white and then with the coloured slip an area came out blue and used the clear glaze over the top. I like this as the area came out more as a block of colour. Experimenting with the clear glaze with stain in here are a few tests which I have done. I am not pleased with these, so I shall keep on experimenting further.

Great News

I will be exhibiting one of my Raku Pieces at Unit Twelve :

http://www.unittwelve.co.uk/exhibitions.htm

From the 1^st November – 25^th November really pleased I managed to get this J

ANOTHER SLIP CASTED PIECE

Below are a few images of another slip casted piece which I have decorated with black and white slip. Before I did any decoration, I produced some drawings which influenced the designs on the piece.

My Raku Pieces

Below are a few images of my Raku Pieces 

Raku in the Making              

As I haven’t had the chance to do Raku before Mark gave me the chance to have a go at and it was great. 

The technique which I learnt through this process was slab building and how to do pinch pots. With the slab building I learnt that if you measure the slab out correctly then they would all fit together nicely and look good.

So the first thing I did was to make the slab long and thin and then had to leave it to go leather hard before I could do any work to it. Once the clay was leather hard I started the measuring and cutting, I used a T – square as this gave me straight lines and edges. Then I constructed the pieces together starting with the longer sides and then the smaller sides. Once it was all together I started to add surface pattern on to the pieces.

With having 3 slab built pieces and then 10 pinch pots all bisque fired then it was time to have the Raku Firing Celebration. As Raku Firing is a celebration my family and Marks family all got together and then got everyone involved in the glazing part.

With the Raku kiln being fired up and hot enough for the pieces to be put in the excitement started. My roll at first was to put the straw, hay and sawdust into the metal bucket where the red hot pieces were being put in and flames started to appear. Once the pieces where cool enough we got them out and scrubbed the burnt hay, straw and sawdust of them and left them to cool. The second firing I got to take the pieces out of the Raku kiln with metal tongs this was enjoyable. The last firing was eventful! 
Over all the experience was amazing as I have never done this type of firing before. In the near future I hope to do this type of firing again when I get my own studio as I will hopefully have the space. 

 Below are a few images of how I made my Raku pieces.