Retreat reflection?

Our class's art retreat to Menucha was really great. This year, in particular, I feel that we all became closer as a class and more comfortable with each other. I thought that this year's guest artist was awesome! My clay projects went very well and I can't wait to bisque them. My natural (Andy Goldsworthy) piece went very well and felt like it was just right. I covered the top of a tree stump with small green leaves. and created a linear form of bright red berries spanning across its face. This year i managed my time alot better when working with the clay and the leaves.

This year I hope to have more direction in my work. Especially in my concentration, last year i would run into dead ends and be stuck! But this year, with a more specific and practical concentration, I will hope to always know my next step.

sweet

So since we turned in our portfolio's Amy is giving us sort of a choice project for the rest of the year. first off, I'm going to finish my skyzophrenia piece that is taking forever, due to various complications, then I want to do some handbuilding to finish off the year with a final qualtiy piece. Tomorrow we are having a barbeque in class and i am bringing the cheese for the burgers

Showcase

our art showcase was today. It was a fun time showing my work to other people. I liked the art of my fellow classmates, the art of the 2-D class, and the desserts. Although I would've like to make some money, I priced most of my work too high on purpose because I like it all and do not want to have to say good bye

Now that my metal pieces are complete, I've decided to create a wall piece out of them. I'm not sure how to do it yet but I still have an unused piece of sheet metal. Since I do not have a welder to weld the metal together I will have to think of a different method. Because the metal fish shapes are burnt up I was thinking of maybe mounting the pieces on a burnt piece of wood

Finally I am having the opportunity to make a piece about mental illness. I feel like this is a very powerful concept so i obviously need a strong way to portray it. I have made a couple of walls mounted on a floor made out of clay. inside the model I sculpted small creature-monsters that symbolize thoughts. By placing the monsters in a way that makes they look like they are trying to break out and push down the walls, they will be symbolizing mental instability.

Genocide?

recently I have experimented with sodium silicate. After wedging some TFJ, I throw out a slab about 1/2 in. thick. brush on a layer of sodium silicate and blow-dry, dry. Once the surface has dehydrated and dried enoungh, I threw out the slab a little bit larger and the crackle effect begins to appear. I layed this slab over my hand and carefullly made a cut out of my right hand. I have done two of these: palm up and palm down. I want this to represent Genocide but it may be too vague of a relation

Pollution

Using sheet metal I hav ecut two basic fish shapes out. After severely burnign them with a torch i hope they will look very decreped and lifeless. Water Pollution is a huge problem in the world and it destroys many ecosystems and organisms that live there.