What I Learned From Clay

This was my final piece in my ceramics class this past semester (just checked my grades tonight, I got an A in the class - woo hoooo!). I think it turned out pretty good. I had some trouble with it - It was supposed to be 6 sided and ended up 5 sided, the base cracked off in the kiln but it was an afterthought in the design anyway so the piece is fine without it. I didn't have the time I wanted in finishing it, but I some of that was a good thing because if I had done what I had originally planned to do with this it wouldn't have the rustic, used, old look that it finished up with.

The cups on the other hand...

 

Were most definitely not my best work. I had to rush to get these done. That was pretty much all my fault. I had to skip class one night to renew my CPR certificate (which I don't regret at all) and I missed another class because I simply forgot I was supposed to go to school on a Saturday. Hand building cups was more difficult than the other things I made. But, as with anything else I'm sure it will get better with practice. The first cup I made (first two pictures in the 2nd row) I thought was too thin and so I abandoned it - I didn't finish it off with a handle. It turned out to be one of the better ones and not too thin at all. The "attitude" cup (1st two pictures on top row) got that way because of the texture I put on the cup and the shape of it. It looked like overalls to me so I thought the handles would be little arms with the "hands on hip" stance. It turned out cute.

Along with the ceramics class this past semester I took the last of my Illustration classes. I really struggled in that class, whereas in the ceramics class the time just flew by and I came out with some really great work. I think I've always know this about myself but doing the two classes at the same time and having such different amounts of success just reinforced the fact that I work much better in 3 dimensions than in 2 and I work better making things with my hands than I do trying to draw things. I know I learn how to do something my faster, easier and with better retention when someone shows me than I do reading instructions from a book.

Another lesson I learned this semester was why I was having such a difficult time with my classes. I started going back to school (at night) about 2 years ago to get an AA in Graphic Design. I already have a BA in Art but thought maybe I should have a piece of paper saying I'm a Graphic Designer too, even though I've been working as a Graphic Designer for 8 years now.

So going through these Illustration and Design classes have been a big struggle for me 1) because I wasn't learning the things I need to learn (technical things like package layout, color separations, adding specs to artwork for the printer, etc.) and 2) I realized I was doing it just to get the paper at the end of it all. The ceramics class I took was something I wanted to take because I like doing ceramics, although I've only worked on the wheel before and haven't done hand building so this was something new. 

This coming semester I'm taking a web class because I need to brush up on my web skills. Most companies these days want designers who can do it all - print, web and mobile devices. And I'm going to continue with the ceramics class.

So, what I learned so far is that I have a difficult time drawing stuff and that I'm much better at making stuff. I also learned that going through the classes and turning in the assignments just to get through the semester isn't very satisfying, nor does it bring me much useful knowledge.

If I had known all this stuff about how I learn and how I'm motivated in Jr. High and High School, things would have been SO different! Hopefully I can use this new found (or rediscovered) information to make my remaining time at school more productive and more satisfying.