The Female Figure

This week we've begun working with clay. As I've been experimenting in my journal with the female figure in an attempt to express mother nature, I began with that. I partially carved the figure within the clay, pushing back any excess but not removing the figure completely from the clay. I kept her half submerged in the rock. I was hoping to convey the idea of a woman that was still connected with the earth and a part of it. I do believe the idea is obvious, however I'm not entirely pleased with the end product so I may avoid firing it. I do think it was important to allow my theme to progress. Keeping to the theme of the earth is my mother I created an image of a woman cradling the world. I wanted the piece to project how close I was to the subject and how it exists, for many, as a part of everyday life. Therefore, I manipulated the image into a teapot. I used a coiling technique and, unfortunately, it was not as precise as I had hoped but I am still pleased with the experimentation, though it could have been neater. So far this week, this is the only experimentation I've done with clay.

Christy Keeney - Visiting Lecturer

This last week before the break-up our ceramics has been based primarily on the work of Christy Keeney. Christy appeared as a guest in our college and taught us how he developed as a ceramicist, the techniques he used. I have to say his unique style definitely caught my attention. I quite liked the earlier work done by Christy, I liked the attitudes and personalities his figures seemed to portray. His later work, though unusual, is also very interesting to look at. It was most enjoyable to watch Christy work with the clay and manipulate it in a more solid state, which I have yet to do. I had hoped to complete a head in the time given after Christy's lecture, however due to bad timing with blood testing and an unforeseen illness I was unable to finish before the holidays. Though I was not able to work with clay this week I do feel privileged for having been able to witness Christy Keeney at work as I do have an interest in figurative ceramics.

Surrounding Inspiration

This entry deals with the beginning of my project, essentially the mind maps, the conclusion as to what my statement would be in regards to the word "narrative", outside sources of inspiration, textual sources of inspiration and thumbnails in regards to ideas I have had. Having researched the word narrative contextually and as I perceive it, I came to the word "forest" with the aid of my ceramic tutors. This word led me passed the idea of a simple 'forest' and onto ideas of fertility, growth, protection. I came to my starting statement: The Earth Is My Mother, through this. It is a statement based on my beliefs, however as a project, i also felt it would be enjoyable. I began by including in my work images of the natural world, flowers, trees, fruit. I did this using two ways, through a textural element (such as bark, mud, water) and a shape element (flowers, apples, tree tops.) The process allowed me to sort through my inspiration and choose the shape and textures which mostly appealed to me. For the 'mother' aspect of the statement I researched the female body, how it could move and the shapes which entices one to think 'fertility' rather than simply 'feminine'. By doing all of this, I am narrowing out what I deem unnecessary or overly complicated and focusing on the quote as a basic viewpoint.