Big ideas in clay leads to lots of trial and error, learning, and loss. Trying to figure out how to make something you have never made, something new, seems to push your abilities, forcing one to learn something. Learning not to get attached to a clay project, at any stage of the process, becomes a necessary lesson. After the planning stage for my thesis artwork, the making began. Starting an idea I had not attempted before, I dove in and tried some different approaches and techniques. I made many different “versions” of the same thing with the certain knowledge of imminent failure of some pieces. This worked well with the smaller and medium scale pieces. When I started to make the 2 tall pieces I had planned, I was just hoping for the best. I didn’t have enough time to make 6 so I could possibly end up with two good,usable, ones out of the bunch. Nevertheless I made the two forms, and I certainly was proud of them. Long story short, they did not survive the bisque firing. I’m not sure if it was the kiln malfunction that did them in, or the time constraints I was faced with, but they both cracked very badly. The moral: even if your pieces fail, try look at what you learned as opposed to dwelling on what could have been.
Resting on the shoulder
Staring into the abyss
