Ceramics: Raku Hippopotamus

Clay body: Sculpture Mix
Glazes:  Raku Copper Brick, Pipenburg, Pink Luster and Clear
At first I resented the animal assignment because I was more interested in function ware and improving my throwing, but this hippo grew on me and I came to relish the problem solving.  And of course, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE doing Raku--so freakin' dramatic and hot.  Since Raku can't be done on function ware not even vases because they won't be watertight, sculpture is really the only way to go in raku.  This piece wasn't my favorite, but I consider it my most successful.

Ceramics: Autobiographical House

Clay Body: Soldate 

Glazes: Cone 05 Deep Turquoise Crackle Opaque and Cone 05 Western White Satin Matte

The assignment was to create an autobiographical house, and I initially wanted to instead create a triptych to hang on the wall which would chronicle all the cities and states my family had been stationed in while my dad was in the U.S. Coast Guard.  However, I didn't have time to create the ceramic decals for each panel and want more time to ruminate on completing such a project.  Instead I created my dream atelier...a tiny barn for doing yoga or even better--a ceramics studio.  I plan on putting tea lights in this house and displaying it next to my clear glass candleholders.

Ceramics: Slab Plate with Mishima Etching

Clay Body:  Soldate

Glazes on Mishima etching:  Mayco turquoise, electric blue, bright blue, apple green, leaf green underglazes and Cone 5 clear on bisque

Unfortunately I used a square plastic plate to slump my slap and while etching with my pin tool, I cut through the clay which showed up in the final firing.  I find it weird and fascinating that clay has a memory.  This plate is not functional as a plate, so I plan on just displaying it as wall art.

Ceramics: Slab Bowl

Clay Body: Soldate
Glaze:  Cone 5 Turquoise and Cone 5 Clear Turquoise on exterior

Ceramics: Slab Bowl

Clay body: Soldate

Glazes:  Cone 5 Crackle Black on the outside and Cone 5 Floating Blue on the interior

Ceramics: Raku Vase (formerly closed container)

Clay body: Sculpture Mix

Glaze: Raku Cone 5 Tomats

This was our first assignment in Explorations in Clay and a throwaway piece, but I wanted to see what all the Raku glazes looked like and have something to Raku fire--which was so dramatic and FUN.  I coiled the pot and then made a crown--which broke, so I threw it away--however I LOVE THIS GLAZE in all its gorgeous array of metal lusters.

Ceramics: Slab cup assignment in Explorations in Clay

Clay body: Soldate, rolled with ridged rolling pin

Glaze:  Cone 5 Celadon on interior (on the bucket which said runs, don't use--but of course, I wanted to, and I didn't care that it pooled on the bottom of the cup) and Cone 5 Jade Green on the outside and foot of cup.