Handbuilding

Concepts for Heterogeneous Series. Taking elements from objects and reforming them into designs. But each piece uses the same elements much like G A T C genes. Moving the elements structures and scales determines the outcome. ' Diverse in kind or nature; composed of diverse parts' 'Visibly consisting of different components' Wiki.

Fired Slip Cast Objects

Objects

These are my infamous objects. I thought it might be interesting to see where the ideas for the workshops came from. When I picked my objects the main attraction for me was the overall form/shape. I also tried to include objects with details and ornate design to take elements from. I am not really interested in ornate embelishment I favour form and colour. I like interesting simple pieces with patterns added that are still geometric and give abstraction to the form.

Handbuilding

White Earthenware clay. Experiment with cord to give texture. The most successful handbuilt 'rabbit' was when I used smaller coils. In not minimising the coils I have smoothed to much clay down the body making it bulk up and lose the nice tapered shape.Note to self: USE SMALLER COILS AND KIDNEY TOOL.

Handbuilding

Handbuilding: combining elements from collected objects-working from the forms of a fluted glass and a peg.

I have created a few ideas and would have liked to try a series of different designs but the time was too short. I have used terracotta clay and will be adding details with white slip sponged on over stencils. These are photographs of the working progress. I will also scan the design drawings to give more insight into the idea.

Clay project

Stages of 'Mud' to clay! ( My 'Mud' is second row middle in the first picture) My clay was dug in Gilfach Goch which means The Red Valley. My mud also had quite a few bits of coal in. I have found out since it did have collieries in the area.

Visual Studies

This exercise required white painted objects on a white background. The idea was to look at shadows and shading. To draw shading onto the items and try to create a sense of contrast. I feel my work looks like white objects with graphite pencil lines!

Visual Studies

The marks made can easily be identified as belonging to each participating person. I noticed my marks are very heavy, use simple shapes and stand-out from the jumble of the picture. I do enjoy geometric minimalist art and abstract expressionism. I interested in pure form and pure line. Follow link Minus Space.

Visual Studies

In groups we each picked 'themes' our group picked 'Organic', 'Director', 'Space', 'Cohesion' and 'Geometric'. The materials to hand were charcoal, acrylic paint ( black and white), graphite pencil, HB pencil and ink pens. My theme was Space I chose to represent Space by outlining blocks of white paper showing patches of pure space. I also showed Space as a measurement as above with lines at intervals like those on a ruler. When the others had started adding to the piece I also highlighted the empty spaces left with dominant hard charcoal lines. Pam was in charge of Cohesion went around the work with black acrylic paint to tie the forms and shapes together. The Organic is shown by small trials of circles acting like a growing plant across the paper.

Thrown pots- Fired

Some of my thrown ash white pots have been fired all are fine. I still need to make some more lided pots as my lids went missing.

Mould Making Casting

Two margarita glasses have been joined together, I used ash white slip to ‘glue’ the pieces together leaving one glass in the mould and propping the other glass up with a plastic triangle until the slip set. The shape is simple and pure, I had planned on adding cogs to the ends but this didn’t look quite right. I would need to experiment with different sizes of cog and maybe different mechanical inspired shapes which would require more moulds and more time. The form itself is pleasing, the balance and line is good.

Mould Making Casting

Mould Making Slip-Casting

The Dust-Buster piece was less successful the concertinaed plastic created lots of air bubbles in the plaster. The shape and detail came out but not as sharply as I would have liked.

Just to make use of the mould I added the cast of the wooden sock darning object. It is a cross of old and new household inventions. I put the two things together as the scale and flow worked quite well also.

Mould Making Slip-Casting

If you only have one mould it becomes a waiting game, I needed two margarita glass moulds to construct my proposed shape. I also need a few cog moulds, and I could only do one at a time! I realize now that mould making and casting takes 4 times as long as you anticipate, and time management is crucial! If I had more time and the foresight to plan I feel I could create some very interesting shapes and ideas. The margarita mould and the cog mould were very successful and I am glad the effort in producing them paid off.

Mould Making Slip-Casting

Cog mould, The best cast was the one left to dry out for about 2 hours. After this one I rushed the next 3 and they were not as good. The edges were less smooth, I also think I should pay more attention to bits in the mould that seem to have contaminated the slip clay.

Mould Making Casting

The plaster moulds dried out enough to be slip cast. After securing the pieces together with elastic bands ash white slip is poured into the moulds. The moulds are filled up to the top of the ‘spare’; the slip is left for a few minutes to reach the required thickness. The excess slip is then poured back into the slip blender. The mould is then left upside down on the bench to dry out for at least an hour.

Clay project

Fired to: 1000 c - 11oo c - 1200 c - 1280 c oxdation - 1280 c reduduction.

Drawing

Taking a line for a walk. This class was with Ingrid, using charcoal we explored line. This is my most successful drawing of the workshop. The task was to draw a random line across the page and swap with someone. Then use their line to produce a purely abstract picture.

Moulds how-to

The Dust-Buster part was fiddley to cast. The half way mark was already on the part but making sure the clay was level for each point was time consuming. The mould is a 2-piece.

Moulds how-to

Poured plaster over 'dust buster' part. The boards a placed in from each other with the hooks securing tension and hold. Clay is used to seal sides, attention to detail is important as leakages are messy. Plaster should be poured over a hand and not too aggressively.

Moulds how-to

Opened cog mould. Clay will be removed then the metal cog. The mould will be dried off ready for slip-pouring. Using the plate has given a good slope and building up the edges a deeper better mould.

Moulds how-to

Mould top, clay built up in a ring in the centre to produce a thicker cast.

Moulds how-to

The cog needed to be cast on a curved plate as it had a curve at the edge of each rung. Clay was placed underneath the metal cog to a certain thickness then each groove was scrapped. This gave the cog more depth to create a thicker mould for a better slip cast. The plate is surrounded by rolled plastic which is secured at the base with clay. Also the inside edge is smoothed with clay to prevent spill. Plaster will be poured to about a 3rd of the depth of the rolled plastic.

Moulds how-to

Moulds how-to

Magarita glass with base. 3 piece mould.

Moulds how-to

The base of the margarita glass had to be filled in with clay level to the sides of the plaster mould. The sides of the mould have been smoothed down. The top will have 2 notches and then be soft soaped.