Above you will see an image of a recent project that I have completed as part of the Sculpture and Installation class offered at Lincoln Lutheran High School. This class allows students to gain inspiration from various artists, videos, and articles, develop sketches and plans, and ultimately work with their hands. Personally, what I enjoyed most about this project was the freedom that each of us had in regards to the overall size, shape, and color of our sculptures. This truly allowed each student to great creative and explore new strategies for creating art!
Artist Statement – Ceramic Sculpture
By Raegan Holle
Recently in Sculpture and Installation class, I have had the opportunity to create a ceramic sculpture from clay. Personally, I believe that this piece holds a lot of resemblance to the cover of the children’s book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss. The colorful mound made from different colored coils provides such similarities. In relation to this children’s book and the appearance of the sculpture, I have titled it, “Go With the Flow.” The overall shape and form of this particular piece of art are wave-like and unique, contributing to the title of this sculpture. Likewise, the principles of movement and variety are shown through the different sizes of coils.
With the use of varying sizes of coils made from clay, slip, a feathered wire tool, paintbrushes, and glaze, I have been able to create this artwork. This particular project took a couple of weeks to complete. Each coil was a unique size in order to contribute to the wave-like pattern of the sculpture. Likewise, each piece needed to be scored and slipped in order to ensure the structural integrity of the pot.
As a class, this particular project was inspired by a past student-teacher that we had at Lincoln Lutheran. She was able to create unique sculptures with a variety of different colors, which encouraged us to do the same! In my piece, I tried to encompass the emotion of feeling “loose.” The varied sizes of coils contribute to this free feeling and ultimately show that “going with the flow” can be significant (as it can contribute to less stress, a calmer feeling, and more joy).
My biggest goal as an artist includes being willing to try something new. Although I have completed a clay pot before, I haven’t worked with coiled clay in multiple years. Similarly, I haven’t worked with varying sizes of coils. Secondly, I have never worked with glaze to create a “dripping” effect. Lastly, this project allowed me to “go with the flow.” I didn’t stress about the minor details, and I simply built off of each piece.
In the end, this project turned out exactly how I had imagined it and I was able to gain a lot of knowledge in the process. I learned how to use a variety of glazes to make the paint appear to be running down the pot. Likewise, I learned the significance of using a wet paintbrush in order to complete a clay sculpture (to make it look smoother). Lastly, this project reiterated the significance of having patience, especially when working with something new. The importance of having patience will be key when looking into future projects.
