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For this project i was combining multiple factors and dimensions of different kinds of creatures. I wanted to create a very sea creature/sea life type of mask. in the top two pictures i loved the way the points and the feathers really framed the eyes and the top of the face as if it were a crown. in the bottom two masks, i really loved the color theme and how the lines and ridges around and on the face brought dimensions and gave it character. i had also wanted to add the multi color aspect that is seen in the bottom left mask as well as using the fin like sides of the bottom right bask for the size and base shape of the mask. i hoewever wanted to make it bigger as if it were huge gills/ears

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to start off this project i had taken a basic plastics face mask and i covered it with many many layer of a mix of wheat paste, it acts as glue, and pieces of newspaper. we continue to put layers on the mask until the definition of the facial features are not too noticeable

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once the base shape of the mask was completed and dried, i took pieces of card stock to help build the rest of the base shape for the mask. after getting the proper shape, i took balls of newspaper and tape to help build up more volume in the needed points on the mask. after doing so, i take larger pieces and add lots and lots of layers that wrap around to the back of the mask in order to create a nice shell and form over the added volume to the mask

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once the previous step dries it’s now time to work on the details like the ridges and negative space within the mask. by taking tiny shredded pieces of newspaper and mixing it with the wheat paste, it creates a moldable and formable material. i’m doing so, i used the mash to create the lines and angles around the eyes and the crown of the head as i had planned to. i decided to add more lines all around the mask and i liked it even better. with the lines just on the top and the eyes it was very empty so i added more to it.

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once the mash is completely dried i again took wheat paste and strips of newspaper to cover and help smooth out the lines and divots. after this step and after it dries i took spackle to help even further to smooth the mask out and to make sure there were no sharp edges. i took sandpaper to make it even smoother to ensure that when i paint it it won’t look blotchy

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at this point i had started the painting process and i decided to go with a grey base with slightly lighter edges to help pop out the details later on. i used the grey paint instead of black or white paint so that it can blend well with the blues i’ll add and to be a bit brighter to help with a beachy feel

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i had really like the lighter edges so to add dimension i took white paint and i had dabbed it onto the mask on the top edges on the top of the mask and the bottom edges towards the bottom of the mask. i had also noticed every one had added dots to their masks so i decided to see what it would look like on the extra edge that i added and i actually really liked it. so i went around the face part to help with the life of the mask

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when i had finished the first steps of painting i felt like it needed more so i decided to help with a beachy feel i added some blue line and some black lines to accentuate the definitions of the mask. i had also added sand over the blue to white eyes as a way to add some extra texture and detail

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i had gone to the beach the previous day to look for some materials i could use for my mask and it was very successful. i had found this dried piece of plant and i had really like how it broke apart and i thought to see how it would look to frame the eyes. i loved how it looked and went for it. i still wanted to add more to the eyes to help them really stand out but i didn’t know what exactly yet

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after playing around with more shells and details i was set on really accentuating the eyes and the top of the mask like the crown. i’m gaining some ideas i put a starfish on top near the brow area as well as the first out of three shells in the corners of the mask. with everything planned out and all the materials acquired i was able to starts assembling

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This head piece took me a while to figure out how exactly i wanted to lay this out and also how it would look like on the mask. after playing around a lot with the materials both from the classroom and from what i’d had found i was set on the design and attached it as well as finishing adding all the extra details i had mapped out

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This is the final result and i am extremely happy with it. it was very tedious to make seeing that it took time for the drying process and the planning proccess. it was really fun learning how to sculpt something from a different material than just clay. and also to take that sculpture and add details to it to create something entirely of its own. i really like how i contrasted the colors and how well the lines and details in the mask stand out from the added pieces. getting creative and taking materials found in both the classroom and out and about is such a cool aspect because with all the different materials an amazing project comes out of it. i feel that i could have managed my time with the project better more ont he side of making the sides of the mask even instead of being slightly lopsided. as well as not rushing the process for adding volume or layering on top of the volume. But over all i’m really proud of this project and very satisfied with the results.

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This is the official beginning of a beautiful scultural bowl. I had decided i would try throwing a bowl on the wheel and in the end i had accomplished so. From this i had gone to the story board to help think of an idea. I initially wanted to create a goblet kind of bowl with winding branches to hold it up.

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After letting the bowl dry to a point that isnt so fragile to deal with so that i can flip it over without it breaking as i work on my piece. I created this foot originally with the intention of making it look as much like a bowl as possible while it has a winding set of breanches holding it up.

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This was my attempt at creating the winding branches that i would eventally bend so that i can mold it to the underside of the bowl all while having it stay up to stand stable.

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At this point the branches were able to hold the weight of the bowl so i attempted to see what my idea could and would come out to be. Some of the branches had started to fall off because i had forgotten to slip and score the intersection points together but i had decided to take a moist rag and let it sit on them for a little bit and it had helped a little bit. After this i had decided to attach the top. of the branches to the underside of the bowl and i wanted to let it sit for the weekend with the rag around it.

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With attaching the branches to the bottom i decided to make the branches almost look like theyre melting intot he bowl as if it were part of it.

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With the main connection point of the bowl to the branches having been connected, i moved to the intersections between the branches by adding clay to those points to help with the stability and the clealiness of the inside of the stand.

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After doing the final touches to the conection/intersection points i decided to let the connection points soften a little bit over the weekend by letting a rag sit around it. However i had made a huge mistake with that decision because it would soften the clay too much and from me letting it sit not on the bowl side but rather on the branch base, the weight was too much and it had collapsed and broken.

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Whiel it may be unfortunate that the branch base broke, i actually happened to like it better and had though of a new idea. I decided to clean up the branches a little bit and decided to create more of a tree stump with the tree branches holding up the bowl. So i toook a ball of clay and created n almost L shaped area which would leave empty space under the bowl.

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After finalizing what i wanted the new tree base to look like i started carving more details into the tree backing to help get an idea of where the project was going.

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After taking a look at the empty space inside i took it as an opportunity to add some flare and some extra small details. So i had made a balcony leading to the outside which just loooked like aknot and with almost what looked like to be ruins in the center on the bottom. It helped rbign more character to this bowl project

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This is a depiction of what i was aiming for the tree stump to look like

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After getting some advice i decided to spic up the details and to make it look more realistic. It would help brign life to the project and make it more interesting than it being just a bowl with a fake tree base.

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I had decided to add more branches that wrapped more to the outside of the bowl to help blend the lines between bowl and a sculpture piece.

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This is the final detailing of the tree stump. I had taken a curved carving tool to help create the ins and outs of the pattern of the wood and then i took a wire brush tool to help create the smaller more natural detail lines.

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From here i had added more depth and some negative space to the branches to look a little more like vines which follow more of the winding and twisting nature. The larger carved details help to bring direction and realism to the vines

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At this point i cleaned up the smaller details and left my signature on the bottom

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This project was a little bit of a roller coaster because in the beginning i was set on making a larger sized goblet that would have the branches winding up to it. That idea ultimately failed but let to an even better one. With the original idea i had let the branches dry to much and then soften too much and the line between bowl and random sculpture was very much present, whereas my final product helped to blurr that line and crate a beautiful piece. I was really happy with the way this project turned out seeing it had become better than the idea i had started out with. It has the tiny details as if it were a portal to another reality all the while having a realistic outside with little holes as if giving a window of opportunity to those with curious minds. As frustrating as this project had become, i learned better about the drying proccess with thinner and thicker pieces of clay as well as learnign how to add those extra little details to bring the piece more to life.

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In starting this project to making a replica of my hand i had to create an angled slab of clay that sloped the same as my hand. From there i traced my hand and got it to this point in the picture by squeezing and pushing the clay around in different direction and using a carving tool to help round the finger and ceate the general dimensions of a hand

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knowing that the knuckles help to add to the actual length of a finger, i had to cut the clay in a V shape to help portray this depth. I had also helped pull the sides of the hand in so that it created more of a natural curve like a relaxed hand would have

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i started to also create the nail beds for the finger nails. this is just the general shape that i measured to be exactly identical to my own. with this general shape id be able to add and subtract the clay to create the correct depth and make it look more realistic

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this was my first attempt at creating the crease lines and wrinkles where the joints are on a finger

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taking a break from the palm side of the hand, i worked on establishing the larger details that could help me with measuring and the shaped of the other details. I had added clay for the finger nails and got the depth for the knuckle ridges

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continuing with the back side of the hand, i started refining the lines of the nails and how it could look more natural with the connection at the cuticle

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coming back to the palm side of the hand, i worked on the wrinkles and in my first attempt, the flow and the rolls of the skin on the palm didnt look realistic so i had to go back and add clay to help create those ridges for the natural skin flow

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as a way to check the progress so far and the natural flow of the skin by the crease lines, i compared and looked at what i needed to change or make better to achieve this.

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after going back and redefining the crease lines better and making it so that the hand was more realistic, i needed to start the hollowing process. To hollow it out i had to strategically cut it in half and outlined where i would be hollowing it out

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using a small carving tool i was able to hollow the hand out to the correct depth and keeping the walls at the correct thickness. I then took a needling tool to drive a small hole through the thickness of the fingers. By hollowing it out, it prevents it from exploding in the kiln and takes some of the weight away making it lighter and safer for transportation. Another thing i did when hollowing the hand out, i added a couple bridges by the openings to help keep the palm from caving in on its self as i keep working with it.

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after reattaching the two pieces of the hand together and deleting the crease line from where the parts were attached, i cut into the points where the back hand knuckles would be and using a ball of clay to fill in and round out the natural bend of a finger. By doing this it adds to the realism and gives the hand a more relaxed look and feel.

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working on the hand over break i had reworked the crease lines in the knuckles on the inside of the hand making it look more realistic. I also shaved down the fingers a bit more to get the shapes a little more accurate

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going to the back side of the hand i started to work on carving down and creating dimension in the knuckles and the wrinkles that go with them. I also added the veins because those are also visible and add to the accurate depiction of replicating my hand.

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in coming back to school i had worked on creating the thinner crease lines that would help add to the realism.

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i continued to touch up the smaller details and took a paintbrush to help smooth out the clay.

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Front hand view of the finished product

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back hand view of the hand. i didnt find this project as intimidating or as frustrating as i had initially though it would be but getting to the nitty gritty details after thinking i was done was the hardest part because you have to know what depth you need and which tools to use

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Going into this project i had no idea of what i wanted my slab project to look like to i started messing around with shapes and had come up with a small scale version of what i would follow

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As a way to start off the project having no envision for what i want the project to look like, i started cutting squares to initially use as a base, i then came upon the decision to make trapezoids as a way to make a pyramid like base. essentially to copy the base from my rough draft i just needed to make it taller and not as wide

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After having made the base and assembled it, i took the rest of my slab of clay and started cutting more shapes out of it like all kinds of triangles

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these are the initial shapes i would use to form my project.

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i ended up realizing i needed more pieces and i had decided to make them bigger and a little more interesting

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In following the prompt i needed negative space within my project so i had decided to take the strange shapes and cut out the center to achieve this

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By this point, the pieces have gotten hard enough to work with and i started randomly stacking them on the base using the slip and score method to do so.

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i have just a few larger whole pieces attached to the base so that i could look at what the negative space and shapes would look like and how i would add to help balance it out as i increase the height

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By this point i have reached the minimum height and i felt that i needed to add more to it so i cut more pieces and let them dry a little to attach them to help add to the complexity and height of it.

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After adding to it and i was satisfied with how the pieces were balanced. So then i started to clean up the fine lines and smooth everything it using brushes and a mix of tools to do so

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This slab project was quite the adventure. I came into this project only with the knowledge of wanting to have crazy edges and bizarre shapes all mixed together. The challenge i decided to give my self was that i would cut all these shapes out of a slab and i would have to use every single piece and make them work together, This gave me some trouble in thinking how to attach them to each other and how all the pieces would work together no matter how many there were.  In assembling this part i made the bond of the main piece to the base stronger, made sure there wasn't just a corner attached so using more pieces to connect it all, the drying time to get the pieces was just right and adding to the chaos of the piece in a balanced way. The part of the project i am most proud of is the huge center piece being negative space and timing it just perfectly to attach pieces to it without it falling, twisting, or breaking. This project is a project in its self where its nonrepresentational and abstract being it is what it is, nothing more.

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base of background built and smoothed out

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base of background built and smoothed out

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Creating wood texture on background attempt 1

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Creating wood texture on background attempt 1

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i had to take off the original background and start off with a new cut slab and reatatch the walls onto the new wood textured background. I had used a texture matt to help with the realism of the depths and details in a real piece of wood.

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finally attatched the mirror to the background

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finally attatched the mirror to the background

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i have supports under the corners of the background to prevent it from bending and drooping. i did this until it was leather hard and could support its self

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decided to add detail to the mirror handle and i ended up liking it a lot

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decided to add detail to the mirror handle and i ended up liking it a lot

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began the construction of the snake head 

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began the construction of the snake head 

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i had used netting from a laundry bag to imprint and create the snakes scale texture

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the bottom one is my original one that i based the top one off of. i had placed it on the background to visualize the piece as a whole. i had hollowed out the center of the new snake on both sides and one side stayed more pointed where the clay came together while the other side had stayed more round. by hollowing it out, it allows for it not to explode and fire correctly

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attached the head to the snake and prepped it for when i attach it to the background

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attached the head to the snake and prepped it for when i attach it to the background

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The snake and everything has been attached 

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The snake and everything has been attached 

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at this point i had essentially though i was done but i had decided to add to it instead.

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my initial though to how it would play out

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my initial though to how it would play out

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the flowers were crafted and attached to the piece

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the flowers were crafted and attached to the piece

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i had decided to add flowers to help bring out details and to add to the meaning

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this piece may look questionable but to me it is a representation of self image. The mirror represents the self image of ones self and the teeth as if self image were to be consuming. Going through high-school, people tend to care about their self image very deeply and its something i relate to. I originally had just the mirror to help portray this piece but in the end i had decided to add a snake and the infinity symbol on the mirror handle to prove "ones transformation is everlasting". the snake individually refers to rebirth and healing as one may change themselves or have to heal from the harsh reality of a consuming self image. The infinity symbol just adds to it showing that change is everlasting. Coming to the end of the project i had decided to add wilted cracked dead-ish looking roses because they serve as a reminder of a failed relationship one can have with them self in loving their self however it also means "when all appears lost, there is still beauty to be discovered."