Detail

Miss had us watch a little preview clip on different detail that we could use on our totem design. As you could see on my drawing I have scales running along the neck and connecting the head together so I used a method called the fish scale technique that was mentioned on the video clip. The method is basically all you do is get small bits of clay and squish them down, then you start at the bottom and work your way up over lapping the pieces of clay giving an fish scale look to it.

With the fungi all I did was get a layer a clay and rolled it out really thin and then use it was covering half the leaf. I then used the end of a cutting tool to make little holes in them creating the fungi look or effect.

Kicking Off with Clay

Finally it was about time that Miss introduced us to using paper clay. To kick things off Miss gave the class a demonstration of different ways that clay can be used and the techniques that is involved: Pinch technique, Coiling technique, Slab technique and the Mould technique. Miss gave us baby steps in to what to do and showed us a method of joining clay together called SCRATCH & SLURRY. Scratch and slurry is a method of joining 2 pieces of clay together using a combination of water and clay mixed finely together and then using a tooth brush scratch a good amount onto both pieces and then join together.

Looking at totem design I had to divide it my two parts, the head and the neck. I couldn't have a nice swerve like neck and then have a huge lump of clay as the head because then the detail wouldn't look go so I would have to make the neck and then the head and scratch and slurry them both together.

G & T Work Shop

In around week 6 my group and I was chosen according to our art making skills to participate in the Gifted %& Talented Work Shop ( G & T Work Shop). While in the G & T Work Shop we meet another person that used paper clay and made sculptures her name was Alex Chapmen. Alex had wonderful sculptures and they include a dinner plate, a tea set, an abstract light and man more. In our time working with Alex we learnt many new things like the elements of paper clay and reasons why to use paper clay. Alex got my group and I starting off with clay, showing us what to do and to use what tool. Working with Alex in the G & T Work Shop was great fun and every body how participated in it benefited greatly.

Scetch Design

After looking at Jenny Orchards totem design Miss had us create our own designs by drawing them on paper. First of all in our group we had to decide which person was going to create what part of the totem. In our group we had 4 people so we had to divide the totem pieces equally I got the head piece. The idea that our group decided on was MUTATION it was a combination of the environment (pants & animals) and humans. With my creation I used a drawing from one of our team members and recreated it and added thing on it to make it look like what we wanted.

My drawing is an abstract drawing that has deep meaning n it. It is basically a plant that is covered in fungi. The plant represents The environment and the fungi represents us humans. The fungi (humans) is covering and eating away the plant (environment) and the plant is crying and pleading for help. In reality and the environmental message that we are trying to get through is that we are destroying the environment through human activity.

Research

Around week three Miss showed us a small film clip of Jenny Orchard which is also a totem designer. Her works are abstract and unique but also have a very deep meaning towards it. We looked at what type of texture she uses and the detail that is involved in the artwork. Most of her work has a story behind it and are usually something to do with the environment. Watching this small film clip has helped the class and I to kick off our totem design.   

Assignment Sheet

Our teacher gave us our assignment sheet and told us about what the assignment is about and what we are going to be doing. I got really excited when she told us that we would be working with clay for our assignment and that we had to create our own ceramic totem sculpture. Miss also told us that our totem will be placed in South Cronulla Beach, all open to the public to enjoy: but because of this we have to provide an environmental meaning to the audience through our creations and the detail we use. 

'OMG' not another assignment

'Oh no' not another assignment, starting art this term and receiving an assignment I thought that it was going to be a waste of time. When receiving the assignment I slowly began to change my mind seeing that we were using clay. The way that we got started was that Miss divided us into different groups of 4,5 and 6's. She had us draw a textured creature and used that as an art making guide to divide us into groups.