Second Week

The start of the second week began today, with Ceramics in the morning and Visual Studies Metal, in the afternoon.

Ceramics went really well, our first objectives were:

1) To identify Health & Safety issues in the workshop
2) To wedge clay
3) To start to make 3 coil pots using 3 different clays with 3 different surface designs based on your Jam jar exercise.

We started with the boring(but essential) H&S issues, then onto the physical times.

Wedging the clay is a technique to get all the air out of the clay, basically a kneeding type style which is important to do because if you didn't the clay would EXPLODE in the kiln. It took alot of strength to really get it done!

Then we made a base using a rolling pin and two wooden guides to make sure it was flat. Once we did this we began on our coils, rolling out long cylindrical coils of clay, to then put on the base. Round and round and round, flattening and joining the insides as we went along. I was quite pleased with mine!

Metal started off terrifyingly. The H&S issues seemed to be alot worse than imagined and actually the metal workshop is a scary place. I'm obviously being a typical girl and ridiculous but still!

We were to take 3 strips of different metal (Steel, Copper and .....) and incorporate our drawings of our Jam Jar into some techniques using different machines in the workshop.

Here's how I got on:




On the top bit of metal, I used the hammer and press. The middle piece, was made using a flux as paint and oxidizing it with the gas/air flame torch machine (TERRIFYING), and the last piece was made using wire, masking tape and a heavy heavy scary machine!

What a way to spend a Monday!