PROCESS
- I started with a Ball of clay
- I then pressed my thumb into the center of the clay leaving about half an inch of thickness on the bottom.
- I gently pressed into the mold using the four fingers on the outside and my thumb in the inside.
- I repeated step four while rotating the pinch pot continuously (patience is key). Once I reached my
- To make the arms and legs I started with a fat coil and cut it into pieces using a fettling knife.
- I then slipped and scored it onto the base of the turtle.
- For the head I mold a thicker coil using my fingers and a sponge.
- By using a rubber tool I carved in eyes and a mouth.
- Once I was done I slipped and scored it onto the base of the shell.
- The tail was made by creating a small coil.
- Again I attached the tail by slipping and scoring.
- To secure the body I took small amounts of clay and smoothed it over the body parts I slipped and scored to create a seamless finish.
- The shell was plain so by using the end of a needle tool I pressed circles into the shell.
- Like the same technique with the monster I took a rubber tool and pressed an even smaller circle in the already indented parts of the shell. This created a double indent in the shell.
- Smaller circles were places all around these larger indents by using another needle tool.
- Finally I took the same rubber tool and placed three strokes on the arms and feet of the turtle to create a toe-like feature.
INSPIRATION
My goal wasn't to replicate this turtle but to take certain things I liked from this example and incorporate it into my piece. The legs and arms are a pleasant shape that I liked and wanted to replicate. One aspect I did want to be unique is the shell, instead of a traditional patterned shell I wanted to create a unique pattern. As for the head of the turtle it has a good shape but I wanted to make the neck stick out a bit more. Overall my turtle wasn't suppose to replicate the one picture but become similar.
My goal wasn't to replicate this turtle but to take certain things I liked from this example and incorporate it into my piece. The legs and arms are a pleasant shape that I liked and wanted to replicate. One aspect I did want to be unique is the shell, instead of a traditional patterned shell I wanted to create a unique pattern. As for the head of the turtle it has a good shape but I wanted to make the neck stick out a bit more. Overall my turtle wasn't suppose to replicate the one picture but become similar.
FINAL PRODUCT
My horse hair project came out fantastic it was an overall a fabulous experience I totally recommend. One fun aspect was getting to use my own hair on this project along with sugar. Placing the hair was a bit difficult because of the extreme heat but thankfully my piece didn't crack. I'm proud of my creations and hope to continue taking ceramics for the years to come.
My horse hair project came out fantastic it was an overall a fabulous experience I totally recommend. One fun aspect was getting to use my own hair on this project along with sugar. Placing the hair was a bit difficult because of the extreme heat but thankfully my piece didn't crack. I'm proud of my creations and hope to continue taking ceramics for the years to come.