I have seen great progress of skill and difficulty throughout my projects. From the ice cream themed magnets, I was able to learn the basics of working with clay from shaping to making sure to spray them so they do not dry out. I am extremely proud of what I have created, especially the Cookie Monster because I did not believe I could make it in the beginning. I was able to trust the process and it turned into an amazing Cookie Monster, which I would have never thought I would have the skills for.
I learned that I cannot control everything, and sometimes I must learn to pivot. With other things in life, I have to be flexible because there is a lot that is not up to me, like college decisions. As long as I do my best and give 100% effort, I know that everything will work out.
The studio classroom was extremely beneficial to my art and wellbeing. It was an escape from other boring classes during my day, and I was able to socialize and make projects that I am proud of. I love collaborative environments and being able to get feedback from others was very helpful in my creative process. I am going to miss it next semester!
I like the pinch pot project the best because I was able to go outside my comfort zone to create Cookie Monster. With this project I was extremely nervous about creating the fur texture and the shape of the body. However, I was able to problem solve and ultimately end up with a finished product that I am extremely proud of. My least favorite project was the coil vase. While I am happy with how the vase ended up, I was very frustrated with the process. I did not know what direction to go to because I was not happy with my original idea, so I struggled with finding some inspiration. I also did not like that I really had to trust that the vase would turn into the shape I wanted with the coils, which was not my favorite thing.
One strength I showed in class was collaborative creativity. I was talking with the people at my table and giving them suggestions with their projects as well as hearing feedback about mine. For example, I helped Clare find a design for her pinch pot person because she was struggling with what to do. I kept focus and got my projects done on time, despite other distracting factors.
I would like to improve on my clay work. I am not super confident in the initial forming of my projects, so I want to be more comfortable with different tools and be able to get my projects as smooth as possible.
I think I would exclude one of my magnets from the magnet project: the milkshake. While I enjoyed creating these magnets, I felt I was unsure of the shaping of the magnets, and it showed in my final product. If I had a chance to redo the milkshake, I would and I would make sure that the shape of the glass was smoother and more accurate. However, I am proud of all my projects and they have shown how much I have grown as a ceramics student!