Slip n’ Slice

After some exploratory drawings, I began to dissect the qualities from them drawings (As seen in my previous blog post of images of my sketches). I used the cutting knife as if it was a pencil, trying to mimic the same energy. The slip was essentially like painting onto my 3D vessels. The combination of the two allowed for a very intuitive approach to surface design and texture, as if I was drawing on paper.

The additions of grog, rips and tears were a direct reference to my primary research. The tactile, unmatchable quality of the clay when torn or ripped shadows similar structures or textures within the environment.

What drives me creatively though, is the relationship between the two. The intention and manipulation of material vs the DNA of clay as a medium and how the two can work in a contrasting harmony.

Something I’ve discovered through my drawing, is the use of singular, bold colour. I have to say, there’s something captivating about that introduction of single colour use. I’d like to develop this further into an engobe, where I can add the use of colour potentially artificial, deliberate colour into my work.

My ‘materiality blocks’ - Grogged clay cubes, ripped, torn, sliced, carved and extruded. These are no longer but it allowed me to develop a more fluid response creating texture and marks.

I used a piece of bark to impress onto the interior.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the outcome, it felt too structured and halfway through the making process I felt constricted on where I could take the piece, it felt like it had constraints that the vessel forms don’t have.

You can see the sketch-like qualities I’ve tried to mimic here with the cutting knife, with the added ability to push out areas to allow the malleability of the clay to transform it further.

I created this form, using a rolling pin on a block of solid clay. I was exploring an alternate method to making other than slab building. I really liked the outcome, it was really quick to transform and with the addition of slips and grogs I felt it created a visually captivating result.

This is a miniature version of the previous ‘rolling pin vessel’

Here I created a formless slab built structure using leftover textured slabs. I was thinking about the vessel form and why I felt drawn to creating these. I wanted to build a formless structure and this was the outcome…

Overall, I feel I’m creating a some visually interesting forms, that when they’re presented together, they somehow aid each other and work in harmony. Naturally, as I’m progressing, I am creating my own visual language and I’m looking forward to seeing where my pieces are later down the line.