EXAM

Required Questions:

1.) Tools are a major focus in this class.  Though many things can be completed by hand tools are often necessary. In creating artwork what type of tools have you used?  In using these tools how did they help your work along? Explain their function and purpose. (Ex. Pottery Wheel, aviation snips, Clay rib)

My most used tools would honestly be the hot glue gun, and a sponge. The hot glue gun is for just as it seems; to hot glue stuff together. I ended up using this often in order to create texture, and glue things together, but still have the ability to make it malleable. The sponge is really used for anything! I used mine most for smoothing clay out. I really really hate a rough texture, and the sponge was really useful in smoothing it out without giving me the ability to mess it up and cut it like many smoothing tools do.

2.)How has your knowledge and understanding of tools changed since the beginning of the semester? Talk about your growth of understanding.

My general knowledge of the tools didn't change, but I definetely began to understand that they don't have to be used for exactly what you think. Hot glue stopped becoming just a means of getting something to stick to something else, but something I can move around to build a piece and form it instead of just layering paper.

What was your favorite material that you used this year? Why do you like working with it?

 PAPER MACHE! I really enjoyed working with it because frankly, it was fun (I mean it looked like pancake batter come on). Also though it was awesome to be able to really wrap the newspaper around the structure and be able to mold it. I enjoyed making my first hand but it was so hard to fit the maps in the crevices of the hand, but the newspaper was really able to lay the same way my structure did. I just felt that there was a lot less room for error, so I was able to enjoy it more instead of being so frustrated.

Which project was your most successful? Describe the theme and or topic and the process you went through to complete the project.

My best piece was definitely my unconventional material piece (that was the theme). I first rolled out a slab of clay and then traced my hand. After the hand was traced and cut I curved the fingers up and the palm a bit so it looked somewhat like a hand holding something. After that I just cut out strips of maps and glued them on; making sure to put strips of bright colors on the tips of each finger. I say this is my best purely because I put so much effort into it, and it turned out how I imagined.

What did you find most difficult about this class? This could be anything from gathering materials, to generating projects ideas, to applying a particular technique. What could be done to resolve this issue in the future?

Good god. Getting a flipping slab of clay makes me break out in hives. Really any aspect that counts as "prep" or "getting materials" is just the worst. I feel like this is definitely just a me thing, but I was never able to understand how to plan it well enough so I wasn't struggling later on in the project because of my poor prep. I guess what could have been resolved is to go over prep, as in how to roll a slab of clay big enough for a bowl.