Ceramics: Using pattern in clay.

I wanted to try making some relief patterns in clay, from my photographs and observational sketching. I made small pieces, with the intention of using them to test out different glazes, and see how they work on the textured surfaces, but also to test how the patterns look on a very small scale, with a view of possibly using ceramic pieces in jewellery.

I made two pieces using a weaving technique with strips of clay, based on both the pattern of woven fabric, and also based on a pattern I found inside an envelope. I then made a piece with the pattern of a cabbage leaf, with parts that were pressed in to create depressions, and also adding strips of clay to create veins. My last two flat pieces were based on patterns from floors, one a paving slab, and the other a mosaic floor. 

I then created a cube, using six squares of clay, with a different pattern on each square. I then assembled the pieces so the pattern was on the inside of the box and lid, hidden.

Ceramics: Slab work and texture.

 In ceramics, we did slab work as part of our skills building phase. First I chose a square outside, to use to inspire my composition. I chose a part with leaves and the edge of a wall, so I thought this would have lots of different textures to experiment with and I really liked the contrast between the curved lines of the leaves and the straight sharp lines of the bricks.







I used rubbings and photocopies to create a collage, and drew a rectangle on top, to show which part I was going to portray on my clay slab.

I have tried to make sure some of the lines were going diagonally to the edges of my rectangle, to make it more interesting.

 To put texture onto my clay, I pressed it into a part of the wall that had ridges across, to try to get a similar texture to my rubbings.











I also used leaves, and rolled them into the clay to create very delicate imprints of the veins and outline.

 I made a leaf imprint on a separate, quite thin piece of clay, and positioned it on top of a smaller piece, to make it more 3D. I curved up the edges slightly to make it look more like a real leaf that had just fallen off the tree.

 My finished piece, just before it went into the kiln. I decided to cut the edges straight to contrast to the natural organic shapes of the leaves and texture pieces.

I also used some white slip to colour some parts, and I hope to add more colour or a glaze once it has been fired for the first time.