In ceramic hand-building, we are working with clay to produce different kinds of pots. We have also produced a visual diary that includes pictures of my work in progress. The process to create a pot is very simple- design, sculpt, and glaze. The three types of pots we have been learning to make are pinch pots, coil pots, and slab pots.

Practice

In order to begin this course, we were taught how to use the slab roller, how to pierce slabs, how to score/join clay properly, and other essential skills needed to produce pots. Our first practice task included using the slab roller. We created test tiles to test underglaze and gloss glaze and how much of an impact gloss glaze has on the appearance of a pot. In addition to learning how to roll a slab, we had to learn how to sculpt a pinch pot and a coil pot. We made a test version of each pot so we could decide what to do for our assessment.

Assessment

Our main assessment for this course was to create a series of different pots. You could choose between coil pots or pinch pots, and how many you make depends on how large you make them. Personally, pinch pots are the easiest pot to make, so for my assessment I decided to make a series of 3 pinch pots.

Capabilities

The four capabilities that were most important during this course would be organisation, inquisitiveness, problem-solving, and creativity. My organisation skills were just medium, I could’ve managed my time slightly better but overall I handed all my assessments in on time. My inquisitive skills were needed a lot throughout this course when trying to develop a textured slab design. I managed to find good designs on the internet that I was successfully able to pierce into my pots. My problem-solving skills were good because when my clay chunk tore apart I would use the scoring technique to piece it back together without letting any air bubbles in. My creativity skills could’ve been better, my final pots are very basic (all pinch pots) and none of them have a major difference in shape or size.

Summary

Overall, this unit has taught me plenty of things that I would’ve never expected myself to learn. I enjoyed making pots more than I thought I would, and I recommend this course to anyone who enjoys working with their hands.