The back splash turned out well, but as with all things there are extras. The back splash needed to be 6X3 inch tiles. I had made them in a white clay body and a clay body with some iron in it, not knowing which one I would end up using.
I am always telling students that clay body will make a difference to the glaze that you are working on. If you are looking at a glaze and you want it to come out with a certain color it is good to know what clay body is being used.
The tiles here are 2 different bodies with the giraffe glazed the same. The backgrounds were different but you can see how different the bodies turned out.
On the dark body the green is nice and warm. On the white body he is a very light green. Again, the back ground is a different glaze.
The flower below is also on the white clay body. I like the way it showed the bee and the detail of the legs. I have been using a wax with some color in it and it allows me to place in more detail and have that detail show up.
I just finished with my last full time students. It was bittersweet saying our good-byes after spending two years with them. I hope that the time we spent together was a good one for them. It taught me so many things about myself. I learn that I was not too old to take on a challenge.
The first Summer I drove myself to the school to teach was three years ago. I am still amazed at how those three years have turned out not only for me but for the program as well.
My plan right now is to teach one day a week through the end of the summer session. After that there are no guarantees that I will have a job, or stay on. In many ways I hope that they are in a place to hire someone who is younger and willing to move the program to another level.
It has been good for me to move outside my own comfort zone. In teaching I have found that I learned as I was teaching. I want to put some of those things into play.
The way I am working with tiles right now is one of those things.
After the summer it might be my time to go back to my own work while I have the chance.
Never stop.
I hope you are all well and ready for summer.
M
7 comments:
Those tiles are beautiful!
your iris tile looks like it's sitting in some creeping jenny ?
Oooooo nice tiles!! Yes, make your own work! Feeling pretty good to pounding around my place again! Know what you mean about bittersweet..... Argh! On that hiring somebody younger!! God, the last email I got from the head of the Dept was a request to sit down discuss my "aptitude" for the job. What ass! When I arrived he only had 6 out of 28 glazes that were food safe and he said it really didn't matter! 🙄 Yet his ceramics 2 students were required to produce four mugs for their final grade.... How about we discuss your aptitude Mr MFA. Education is so screwed up IMO.
Absolutely wonderful tiles :)
Thanks, I'm enjoying the tiles.
Sandy, we need to talk.....
Hope you have a relaxing and profitable summer.
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