Before staring bootcamp 1 in Ceramics, I did not really know much. I have not really have been doing much with clay or art like this in school for a while. There were a lot of things that were new. However, maybe I might have learned something similar like this before either in school or in somewhere else, but watching the videos for making the pots, how to wedge, how to make slip helped with understanding this class. I was a little behind before, but now as I catch up, I believe that things will be easier along the way for me (I think [in my own words]). I learned how to make the pots for this class. It is kind of easy, but I struggled trying to make another one earlier and now I´m a little behind with the whole 6-10 pots thing right now. Again, watching the videos helped at making the pots. I tried to see if i could do it before, but it didn't really work out at first, so I watched the videos and took the advice. It worked and I was able to make pots out of clay. I was expecting for things to be a little challenging at first. when I made my first pot out of clay in this class, I was kind of surprised of how perfect the pot kind of looks I was kind of expecting for it to look a little weird and different. But in my own opinion, I think that I did great on my pot. I used the whole video watching and learning as I go with all of the techniques. Again, I say that the videos are great examples of assistance because I remember that I made a pot out of clay before (both in school and out), and since then I couldn't remember how to do it, and the videos really helped me with remembering and knowing. I will continue accepting advice from videos because for some moments in my life I forget things that I kind of remember doing and the videos help me get my memories on this type of art again. so really the topic of this whole thing is the videos. (weird)
So far, I think that Boot camp one is cool or Okay. What I am trying to say is that I kind of am enjoying it. Being in this class brings back memories when I have made pots before. When I was younger, I went to A.K.C. (Amazing Kids Club). I went there as a kid for a couple of years, and when I got to my pre-teen years, I sadly had to leave. But one of the Amazing things I have done there was go on a field trip to make pots out of clay at this place where this guy makes pottery there. he taught us how to do it, make it, and glaze our pots. and we brought them home. I showed it to my parents that day, and they really liked it. I kept it in my room for the last few years and I still remember going to that place. The second time I made a pot and brought it home was suppose to be a flower pot or something and I made in middle school (probably 7th grade). I brought It home and there was A time that I remember my mom using it for something. Probably to hold her pens and pencils or something. And now today, the pot lives in my garage. So now, making pots today remind of those moments. I realize now that this would fit in my blog but memory can be a sign of evidence of learning. So that you can remember what is it that you having done, hoping to do that now in the same category of a class to do it again.
BOOTCAMP II
Last week, the week of 1/26/20, I learned that I can sort of make coils by both myself and with others. I was able to make a coil pot but it was too big. so I had to start over and make those coils that I did by myself and I was able to make another coil pot but smaller and in correct size. It took a while for me to make the coils by myself a bit. I remember making snakes and worms out of clay in the past, and I remember how terrible and crackly(my coils have plenty of cracks) my kind of coils are. And since that is kind of a skill of mine, I just dealt with it and made my pots anyway. Right away, I knew how to deal with clay, and I also kind of knew to expect some challenges. The Coiling by myself was challenging. So I was able to have some help and I figured out how to use a tool that I had to make coils that I didn't really know well And I was able to make an Impression roller and continue my way up from being behind, and to catch up with everyone else. Like how I usually complete things is to except help and I did. And hopefully, for the next bootcamp, I should be able to do things by myself and try to make it and caught up with everyone without any help. How to describe Components of my work would be the tool to make the coils, not the extruder, but the hand tool that can make the coils. I was able to figure out how to use it correctly, and that is how I was able to make my roller.
BOOTCAMP III
I learned that this Bootcamp was to make you test your knowledge on making slabs. It was easier at first until my slab bowl kept breaking. I make my roller and used it to make the slab bowl.... but then my roller broke and I had to make my designs on my pot with a broken impression roller. Everything was good for a second until when my pot got dry over the weekend and I accidentally broke it. I tried again and it got all messy, until finally, I got it right and was hopefully able to get it right but then it broke and now I don´t have a slab bowl. However, I am on the Cube right now and that is probably where I might be caught up on things. However, I never have seemed to make the legs, or the lid, neither the handle. But I was able to get that part right when I tried the second time when I made slip and did the Scratch, Slip, And Seal technique and attached the handle on the top of the cube. that was after making the lid when I used an exact o knife and the sticky note that I drew how to cut the lid and what it will look like. Finally, Just before that, I used the Scratch, Slip, and Seal technique with the four legs. So now the cube that I have made now looks better than the one before. All of the skills I need to make slabs in this Bootcamp was to slam the clay as hard as I can until it is very flat. But there were other ways to make it after slamming it. After I slam the clay as many times as I can, I realize that the edges of it are a little cracked, so I grab my knife and cut off the edges and continue forming it. Pretty much the knife has been my strong component in my the slab bowl. and for the slab cube, IT was pretty much the knife as well. What I am learning is failing and then trying again because of all of the knowledge I currently have now. I did expect things to be a little tougher the first time, but then the second time came and I had a second chance, things went a little easier for me as I knew what to do next. Now that I know my knowledge better at making slabs and how to do these things on my own, I will be able to know how to make a slab cube and bowl again in case I get a related assignment like this one.
BOOTCAMP IV
I knew how to form my clay into the test tiles by doing the slamming the clay numerous times. and then I used my knife to cut up the five test tiles. I also used my knife and a little bit with my wire tool to cut off the extra edges. And I was able to solve it out on my own with the designs. For the Incising surface decoration, I used m knife and just slightly cut a bunch of lines almost in a pattern. For Impression I grabbed a impression roller on the shelf. I grabbed one that had a star and a swirly design on it and pressed on the clay carefully so that the swirly and star will be visible. Next is the piercing decoration and what I did was grab an exact o knife and cut out a rhombus and a bunch of little punch holes. the next surface decoration was the applique, the attaching a design or shape on the test tile. So I had to do the Scratch, Slip, and Seal technique to attach a sort of curved square and what used to be a triangle. last but not least was the combing decoration. easy. I had to use the tool with the sharp edges to comb a bunch of smooth little lines on the Test Tile. And I learned that it was easier to do the designs before they dry. Because the first time was challenging in that area of working on the tiles, and then the 2nd time it was easier for me to do the designs before. unlike the first time when I tried to do the designs AFTER the test tiles dried. Now, for the Surface decorations on the cube, I had to some pretty cool things that I didn't know how to do. well actually I knew how to use a paintbrush. So, it was pretty easy for me to color the glazes with the paintbrush on the cube. Same thing with using the paintbrush to use wax resist and the slip trailing was a little hard when it wasn't working and then I fixed it and Slip Trailing came squirting out of it. I've learned in Bootcamp 4 the second time that the second try is the charm to get things right when you didn't know how to do it before the first time. I expected it to be easier to try again now that I have learned that when I did the Test Tiles the first time, it was unsuccessful. Now that I have learned that I can do better the second time at trying to work on the test Tiles, I will learn that it is okay to fail because you will know that you can do better in the future.