2015 Progress Report: August

After taking a summer break, I finally started working again. I took a project I started years ago and picked up where I left off.

8/1/15: This project is currently known as P4. I actually started on it 5 years ago but then put it aside for several years. Now I know what I want to do with it so I started working on it again. It's going through a slight redesign on the back area because I felt the piece needed to be structurally reinforced. There's also a piece of wood glued down for the eventual hanging. Also, at the bottom, I have a chunk of foam board sticking out. That's because I want to try something new with this but I'm not sure if it's going to work. I'll talk more about that part later.

By the way, in all the August pics, you're only seeing the back on the sculptural part of this piece.

8/2/15: I started the chickenwire work.

I finished the chickenwire work and I'm starting on the canvas work.

8/9/15: After a break, I'm finishing the canvas work.

8/12/15: This is also a part of the P4 project. This is a very, very early start for this drawing. Right now, it's just a shapes and trying to get a basic idea for a composition down.

8/12/15: The other drawing party for P4. There's not much to look at here, at least not right now.

8/12/15: The gesso work on the back of P4 is done. This piece will be left alone for a while.

2015 Progress Report: May

By this month, all the firing work for all the ceramic pieces I had been working on since the beginning of the year had been finished. The focus now was on the parts of the ceramic work that most people aren't going to see. The time and effort this post-firing work added up to more than 12 hours, which I was told was an insane amount of time to spend on seemingly small details. However, in my line of work, the small details matter just as much as the big picture. After this, I decided to take a few months off.

5/12/15: A label was created for what is now known as Dark Meadows. I tried some new methods for creating these name labels that involved using transparent tape. This way, the labels won't fade and the drop shadows won't become discolored when I apply the polymer gloss.

5/12/15: A label was created for what is now known as The Order.

5/12/15: A label was created for what is now known as Third Season.

5/12/15: A label was created for what is now known as Misplaced.

5/12/15: A label was created for what is now known as Constant Change.

5/12/15: A label was created for what is now known as Photosynthetic.

5/12/15: A label was created for what is now known as Through the Crucible.

5/12/15: A label was created for what is now known as Into the Deep.

5/13/15: Soft molding paste was applied around the label for asthetic reasons. Soft molding paste was chosen as opposed to regular molding paste because soft molding paste dries much faster.

5/13/15: Soft molding paste was applied around the label for asthetic reasons. Soft molding paste was chosen as opposed to regular molding paste because soft molding paste dries much faster.

5/13/15: Molsing paste work for The Order is done.

5/13/15: Moding paste work for Third Season is done.

5/13/15: Molding paste work for Misplaced is done.

5/13/15: Molding Paste work for Constant Change is done.

5/13/15: The molding paste work for Through The Crucible is done.

5/13/15: Molding paste work for Photosynthetic is done.

5/13/15: Molding paste work for Into the Deep is done.

5/13/15: This photo along with the others was taken during the photo shoot and unlike the photos that will eventually be uploaded, these are unedited. The felt has been glued on by this point and the piece is completely finished. Felt is used to allow the ceramic piece to sit on any table without causing any scratching. It also makes the piece look more asthetically pleasing.

5/13/15: The felt has been placed on The Order.

5/13/15: Felt has been placed on Third Season.

5/13/15: Felt has been placed on Misplaced.

5/13/15: Felt has been placed on Constant Change.

5/13/15: Felt has been placed on Through the Crucible.

5/13/15: Felt has been placed on Photosynthetic.

5/13/15: Felt has been placed on Into the Deep.

2015 Progress Report: April

April was a very crucial time for me. I had to hurry up and finish all remaining wet work and firings in a few short weeks. It was a challenge to maintain high quality standards while rushing to get everything done. For the most part, I felt I succeeded. Even after all of that, it wasn't over yet. More on that in the next post.

4/1/15: The five-sided project had some texture work done to the base.

4/1/15: Creating a place for a name label was tricky with this project.

4/1//15: The four-sided project progressed quite a bit in just a day.

Circle Project #2 was progressing a little slower that expected because I wasn't sure where I wanted the additional pieces for it.

4/8/15: Despite the slow start, the construction on Circle Project #2 was completed within a week. The reason for it's odd design at the top is because I didn't know which way I wanted the arch to bed. So it bends three different ways.

4/8/15: Five-Sided Project is now the one that's progressing slowly.

4/8/15: Three-Sided Project has also managed to progress slower than expected.

4/15/15: The firings this time took longer to get to. Nonetheless, the original trangle project survive the bisque firing.

4/15/15: The original Pentagon piece survive the bisque firing.

4/15/15: Circle Project #2 was the first of the second group of projects to get bisque fired.

4/15/15: Four-Sided Project made a small amount of progress this week.

4/15/15: Three-Sided Project has been progressing a little faster than the previous week.

4/15/15: Four-Sided project' progress has also slowed down this week.

4/21/15: The glazing was done on the triangle project.

4/21/15: The glazing was done on the pentagon project.

4/21/15: The glazing was done on Circile #2.

4/21/15: This is still progressing rather slowly.

4/21/15: The construction is finally complete. I really had to be careful with this one since a lot of the weight is shifting on one side.

4/21/15: Finally finished building this I've come to like this one a lot.

4/22/15: Another one is done.

4/22/15: Constrction on the last piece of the semester has concluded.

4/22/15: I was experimenting with glazes I never used before. I had mixed feelings about this.

4/22/15: I like how this turned out a lot.

4/22/15: The glazing work on here is nice but even after all this time, but bottom still bothers me.

4/28/15: I'm redoing the glaze work on this.

4/28/15: The glaze work on here is somewhat similar to Circle #2.

4/28/15: Three-Sided piece's glaze work is now done and drying.

4/28/15: The final glaze work for the semester is done.

4/29/15: After two attempts, I'm liking this a little more.

4/29/15: I kind of like the way this turned out.

4/29/15: I don't like this as much as some of the others. The glaze was a little thicker than I wanted it to be but I still like the colors.

4/29/15: I like this one a lot.