So yeah about staying focused on my concentration....it's harder than I thought. I need to buy some clay before I can make anything else for my concentration. It's just really hard for me to stick to one thing...I like being more spontaneous in art so I guess I just need to pull myself in and focus so I can get my work done for the deadline. Anyway...as my random mind goes...here is a picture of a shell that I want to make a vase of. It's the twisty one in the center.

So last class I found out about the class stash of tea after four years of passing right by it!!! So I got super excited and made some tea (but it was a gross flavor) and I used one of Amy's cups. And that got me thinking that I need to make some mugs. So anyway I will be making some mugs in the next few days so that I can make more tea in class. I have also been getting really distracted from my concentration by random ideas like these, so all non concentration work will be done outside of class from now on. I guess I'm going to come in after school to do this other stuff.

I have been thinking about these pots from the artist that amy showed us a lot lately. I love the sharp lines that she has going across the middle of her pots. The question I have though is how do they not collapse? I really want to try making one in my spare time after school or something to understand the technique so that I can make some that are my own style with the same technique. It's really fascinating to see how other srtist do things. These are just great.

So I had another idea for a project. It's based off of this type of sea urchin. I will basically be making bowls exactly like these. Earlier in my blog I have a picture of a shell like these ones but it's purple. I am going to do a large colored bowl based on the purple shell and then a collection of small white bowls based on these ones. I think these things are so interesting and a bowl like them will have a lot of character and keep the eye entertained. I'm so exited.....I want to start this project right when the new semester starts!

So my concentration is off to a good start and
I'm excited for the rest of the year. This week's
blog is about work that I want to start doing after
finals. I want to start coming in during my early
release to get better at the wheel and make things
that aren't for my concentration....just for fun. I was
looking around online to get ideas and find things that
I like. I want to make a series of vases or something
like that. I will be really busy on my concentration
but hopefully I can find time to do this also. These
are some of the things that I found online...enjoy!
And Congratulations Amy! Her baby was born on
my little sister's birthday and has the same name as my brother!
Babies!

So I am off to a start with my new concentration, which is serving dishes based off of different types of shells. The dish I am currently working on is based off of this shell here. The outside of the dish is rougher and the inside is going to be really smooth. I think I am going to do some type of stain on the outside and then do and iridescent glaze on the inside. I might eve raku fire this dish. I talked to Amy today and we discussed my different options for creating an iridescent effect on my dishes, because many shells look like that. So throughout the rest of the year I will be experimenting with raku and also this stuff that goes on top of a glaze to create hat effect.

So I may be changing my concentration to serving dishes inspired by the sea. I was just going to do serving dishes, but one of them was going to be based on a shell and since I needed to specify my concentration a little more I decided to make all my serving dishes inspired by shells. Shells have so many colors, patterns, and shapes to work with. I think I can make some very interesting, but functional pieces. These are some different shells I will be pulling colors, patters, ect. from to make my dishes. The very last shell on the bottom is actually a serving dish, to give you an idea of what they may be like.