October 27, 2006
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assignments
So our first assignment for this year was making stones/pebbles out of pinch pots. we were supposed to make three: two with structure and one smooth one. Not just smooth but also a strong form… hmm don’t realy know ho else to explain…. i mean something can have a smooth exterior both the form can have bumps and stuff but an the other had you can use a lot of structure and still have a smooth strong form. On the smooth rock we used terra sigilate, that we made ourselves, to burnish it. The others were bisquit fired (960°C) just like that and since we are not going to glaze them we could refire them at a heigher temp to change the color. I made my rocks out of ”black” clay and i’ refiring my structured ones: ano at 1150°C and one at 1200°.
Any ways i am rather pleased with one of the structured ones ( the one i haven’t gotten back) and with the smooth one as well. I think they look like rocks and that the organic stuff used for making the patterns helps there a lot of the others used stuff like shell or symmetric things and just pressed them in the clay and tinking about it that makes it more artificial.. i guess the challenge would be to use these stamps to make a natural looking structure. SO i’m thinking of making some more at home and ttry out different shapes and stuff
We als made two pinch pots that we burnished with terra sigilata and that we will smoke fire later and we made tiles to wash in with oxides and a platter as well.kinda screwed up mine when i lifted it to finish up the rim: after a week of drying it was still really soft so i’m going to make a new one if there is time 
The last couple of weeks we have been throwing and i’m struggling to throw in the new way i learned over the holidays (new grip: instead of using my knuckles to pull up the clay onthe outside i us the part of my hand between my index finger and thumb now… feels like learning to throw all over again but with the advantage that i more or less know what i’m doing so i can correct myself better
Now we have a week of and i’m thinking of my new assignment: a organic form need to sculpt it… definitely not my cup of tea
Allthough i’m starting with the basics again the classes are great because of the teacher’s approach. Still have to get use to the freedom…. thinking outside of the assignments coz i was not used to that in Gouda
