Past for the future.

For this project I will be making tajines. Cooking is something that I do every day and will most likely continue to do in the future. While I cannot find an origin date, I know the tajine has been around for a while and originated in Morocco, Maghreb, and North Africa. This cooking apparatus of the past is still being used today. I will "modernize" this form of cooking by incorporating elements from my life that will remain a prevelant force in my future. My son, being a huge part of my past, present, and future will draw on the finished tajine thus connecting its past to my future. In further thinking about this, I have considered taping off some negative areas on the pot so the entire thing is not covered in scribbles (see photo for sons drawing example and photo for neg. space reference) while adding a little something extra to look at. I have considered further ways to bring the tajine up to modern times by making individual smaller tajines for the single person or the loner. Flameware would be nice for baking, stovetop, or the grill while a stoneware mini-jine would be great for the microwave further bringing it into the present/future. I've also considered a double tajine like the one below for microwave cooking of eggs (ew. But something my brother insists tastes just as good) or even for making two dishes at the same time for families with picky eaters that may insist their carrots be cooked separately from their meat. I've already quoted 4 full size flameware tajines to fufill project requirements, but would really like to make some individual ones out of stoneware before Woodfire.

Sorry this is so long. I got inspired while  looking for reference pics.

Goal met.

My goal for the project is met. I have made two chip and dip servers. I want to make one more before crit. I've found time to be crucial when it comes to cutting and bending the rim. I think I need to make taller walls on outer platter to better connect to shorter inside bowl. The shorter walls are giving a nice wave profile of the rim. I think I like it but need to make the other just to make sure. The plates are done. I've considered making them a little bigger. Ill probably make more before the woodfiring and after crit. I also tried to bend the rim out but decided against it. I felt the rim bending in on the plates related more to the platter.

Transformation

In all my excitement of finishing up the previous project and coming up with plans for the next, I forgot to post last week. Tea pitchers turn out ok. I got some great feedback from crit and really want to make some more before the end of the semester. Next time I do these I will probably pull the handle and the ice cube catcher at the same time to better insure even thickness and marks on both parts. I've also figured out the forms look way better taller rather than more wide, and that the rule of thirds is something to keep in mind.
The transformation project really fits in nicely with my them and ideas for the fall BFA show. I will allow my son to inspire me to transform my work as well as my new home work setting. Through exploration excersizes with my son I've found he enjoys very basic activities with the clay. Cutting it, suishing it, poking holes in it, and stamping it. This has led me to revisit an older idea that I attempted a few semesters ago where handles for mugs were cut out of the rim and bent back. My home setting, with frequent family gatherings, has already inspired me to make objects that can be used for food. Whether their used to eat out of or cook in. I want to further explore that and make serving dishes. I would like to end up with one good serving dish that consists of a big platter with a smaller bowl inside for chips and dip, connected by the cut and bent rim of the bigger platter. I am aiming for 6 small individual plates with rim cut and bent for thumb handles to better hold plates.

Below is a pic of a greenware tea pitcher, a previously made mug, and a chip and dip serving platter that shows placement of where I plan to place the dip bowl inside the serving platter.

Tea pitchers

Slowly and steadly completing tea pitchers. I already have two finished that need to be bisqued and 4 mugs to match them. I worked on overlapping two others to make a three point pitcher but didn't like how they turned out. My walls twards the base were too thick to overlap nicely. I'm worried about cracking. I'm considering finishing a handle for one although I hate it.
I threw my first 10 lb ball of clay tonight and really liked the hight I got from it but it was hard to throw the walls nice and thin without it crashing and burning. For this one I will pull the spout of the rim then attach an ice cube catcher similar to the one below. I want to get one more 10lb pitcher thrown and would like to have 4 more mugs but Im not sure that will happen. Hoping for the best.

Home studio & throwing progress

This weekend I worked on tracking down a wheel for my home work space and some wood and supplies for shelving. Need to clear out my nook and start measuring and sawing. Ordering my wheel as soon asap and should have it by the end of the week.

I made plans with Dan to mix up some new flameware Tuesday. I want to get some stuff made with this! I must find a way to work in some time for my cookware prices. Wanting to make pizza stones, bread pans and skillets.

I didn't get to put in as much time as I hoped to this weekend. I managed to get in my 6 hours today, but extra dry clay made it difficult to wedge and get forms pulled up. I'm going to have to mix it in with a new batch tomorrow in class, and put in some extra hours tomorrow. Looking forward to some fresh clay!

I'm going to try to alter a cylinder for a different type of tea pitcher. I liked the mug in class the other day that was cut and overlaped back together. I've thrown a cylinder that widens at the top. Planning on cutting three times then overlapping. Handle will be on one side and spout will be the opposite corner. Wanting to make time to have a matching set of mugs. Hoping to have 2 orignal sketches and 2 altered, with at least 4 mugs for both ideas (8 total). But I'd really like to have 4 per pitcher. Maybe that's too ambitious.

techinical difficulties

Pics that didn't upload on the last post for some reason...

First blog of my last year as an undergrad.

For the throwing project this semester I want to push myself. I want to make more lightweight pots by paying attention to wall thickness. I am trying to be more delibrate in how my lids, handles, spouts, texture, etc. fit together to make a cohesive form.
I would like to make a few different types of iced tea pitchers. I plan on them having lids but after looking though other pictures I think I will try to make a couple without lids and a type of stopper for just the ice itself. I would like to have four mugs or tumblers for each pitcher I make. Realisticly I think I can complete 4 pitchers with 4 sets of 4 cups.
I'm hoping to carry through the forms and texture that I experimented with the past couple of semesters but plan to alter them as well. Hoping to be inspired.
Here's what I have after week 1.