Research Assignment 4

Upon first glance of these tiles I thought that they were just a design. The written words are delicately flowing with the fancy swirling background that they appear together as one. This could be, however, because I am not by any means a master of languages.

(http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1999.146)

The spout of this ewer is my favorite aspect because it looks like a flower that is resting on its side. This would coincide with the floral print that decorates the main body of the ewer. I like how the ewer also incorporates designs from multiple cultures, this perhaps makes it more unique because the creator, even in that time period, admired other culture's styles enough to add them to their work.

(http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/17.190.2045)

The detail of the vessel is amazing. There are so many small things happening, paw/foot legs that elevate the piece, a dragon with a rider that serves as a handle and the over all intricate pattern with a glaze that darkens as it reaches the design. All of these details are prominent, yet subtle enough not to overwhelm the viewer.

(http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/26.292.73)

Research Assignment 3

The shape of the lip that Linda Christensen put on this bowl is simple and is enhanced by the addition of a little bit of a white glaze on the indented parts of the lip which softens while deepening the indentations. The foot is small and simple not detracting from the attractive lip manipulation.

The visual optics of Shoji Hamada's bowl created by the glaze give the illusion of depth beyond the bowl. It's extremely beautiful. I love the way the colors flow into the center of the bowl. This bowl has a small foot which, I feel, is so that the foot does not detract from the glaze job.

Bernard Leach's bowl also has a larger foot like that of Mackenzie's; however, the glaze does not extend as far down as Mackenzie's when ends up visually separating Leach's bowl from the foot. It shortens the bowl by distinguishing the bowl from the foot and is aided by the multifaceted shape of the bowl from the smoothly curving foot.

The shape of the lip that Linda Christensen put on this bowl is simple and is enhanced by the addition of a little bit of a white glaze on the indented parts of the lip which softens while deepening the indentations. The foot is small and simple not detracting from the attractive lip manipulation.

The glaze job of Clary Illian's bowl is visually challenging the observer subtly by illustrating the depth of the bowl. The foot is, once again, smaller which doesn't distract the looker from the pattern on the bowl.

Top 5 Tips for Throwing

The Top Five Tips for Throwing in my opinion are 2.) find and use equal pressure of the top and side hands to center, I have taken ceramics in high school and I could never get the thickness equal on all sides. 4.) Use gradual pressure on both the initial contact and upon release during centering and pulling, once again this is the area that I need to work on a lot. 6.) Use very little pressure with inside finger or fingers for narrower bowls, I always thought that the pressure was only from the inside fingers in all cases. 7.) Never touch the clay while the wheel isn't spinning, this would cause the clay to become imbalanced and ultimately destroy the piece that is being created. 8.) Maintain consistent speed of the wheel (faster for centering and slower for pulling), keeping the clay uniform while working on different aspects is key so the clay stays consistent in thickness. These five tips I can't wait to attempt to apply in what I'm sure will be a fantastic class.