Carving Experiments

Snuck away to the ceramics studio one more time this weekend. Trying to get in as much time as I can before the busy week starts up again. Experimenting more and more with carving since I'm trying to find out what method of ornamentation comes most naturally. So far, carving is easier for me than painting and less complicated to figure out since I don't have to deal with underglaze or anything like that. I'm getting braver, but I'm still attached to each piece like a new pet. The plates, in particular, because it takes months and months for them to dry to the right consistency for handling. So, I've been inspecting them every single studio visit, and it's easy to get attached. Each time you handle it, you put a little more hope in the piece.

I wanted to play around with carving techniques but not quite ready to go at the outer surface, where it'll be super visible. So, I decided to carve the underside of the plates. Started with two different patterns: the seigaiha pattern I've been fixating on and this random new pattern that just came out. Learned how the variation in line thickness can be very meditative and also that carving into clay that's too dry is much more preferred than carving into clay that's too wet. Made a bit of a mess with a plate that I was rushing. 

Meanwhile, the bowls remained stubbornly wet. Couldn't do much with them except stare at them and contemplate all the patterns I'll be carving into them. Would be great to see how the glaze interacts with the carved textures. 

I'm also excited to report that some of the pieces have already been sold! Thank you to these early adopters, buying within the first 24 hours. So grateful for the continued support through this wonderfully maddening journey. So motivating to keep learning and improving. To way more clay in 2018!