Roxanne Spenceley CAP

3D Contextual Journal- MODULE 1

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In site installation

I set up the plaster moulds on a flowerbed. I found it quite interesting with the juxtaposition of not only the colours but forms as well. They are very man made shapes with artificial colours. The natural surrounding help the eye to be drawn to the sculptures. As they are left in situ, I will be intrigued to see how they react too weathering. The forms will hopefully change from a rigid, manufactured shape to a smooth, rock like form. I am really happy with the way the inks have coloured the plaster. What might be fun to try is casting plants, and these can be placed alongside the plaster casts shown. 

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Looking at the idea of manipulating the visual impression of a material. I wanted to play Wirth the idea of a hard material giving the appearance of a soft material. Plaster is great at replicating its environment through casting. This is a great way to achieve details such as folds and creases that help to reflect fabric. I am very happy with the way the pieces have come out. I think it has been successful with playing around with the characteristics of the plaster. The visual image is very different compared to holding the physical object. What I would like to take further from these experiments is the idea of an object holding more than one property. I think it’s fascinating that until you’ve used touch, the piece could very much be identified as a malleable object. 

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Casting Artists

When looking at materials such as plaster, and trying to give them properties of a material such as silk, I focused on the work of Peter Agostini and Daniel Arsham. 

Peter has a much more abstract style with the use of plaster. He creates expressive, nonfigurative forms. These often resemble crumbled materials which defy gravity. As his career grew he focuses back to figuration, for example horse and their movement. 

Daniel Arsham is not so abstract with his creations. He works closely with themes or architecture, performance and sculpture. His forms are taken from everyday objects where he plaster casts and encompass sand to recreate the found objects. His use of broken glass creates a crystal like effect. 

I find it interesting how versatile plaster is as a medium. These artist illustrate how the same material creates wildly different results. It is evident that the form in which the plaster goes into is crucial, as plaster will capture its environment with precise detail. 

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Notes from the in person lecture:

Cement Casting-

3Sand: 1Cement: Eye the water until a thick custard consistency. For a finer cast its recommended to use a finer sand. 

When creating sculptures its recommended not to use cardboard. As the cement ‘goes off’ its releases water, thus the structure would collapse. A material such as aluminium foil would leave an impression creating texture. I would like to experiment with the materials properties, for example making cement or plaster look soft alike a fabric. 

If too much water is put into the mix the mould will be very porous,  making it a brittle form. 

Plaster rations differs between what type- the finer a plaster you would often use less water. For the fine casting plaster I used it was a ratio of 100w:70p. When mixing the plaster, it’s best to do so by hand under the surface. This minimising the amount of air bubbles. 

To colour the plaster or cement its best to use a jesmonite pigment- they are very strong so a minimal amount is need. 

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Vessels with underglaze

These are two vessels I made using a slab building technique. I wanted to concentrate on creating colour and pattern to a surface using underglazes.

On the first piece I wanted to layer up the underglaze. I decided to keep areas of just clay to give a contrast against the areas of underglaze. The interesting part of when they layer is that they create more colours. 

On my second piece I stuck with one underglaze colour. I used an Indian stamp to add texture to the surface- this would also affect the underglaze in different ways. 

Both are constructed with a stoneware body and finished using a clear glaze. 

I believe the use of the blue and black underglazes was very successful. The simple technique of using paper as a stencil to achieve sharp lines. It would be fun to try this on thrown pieces. 

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slip application

Experimenting with the application of slip. I used a feather to apply a white slip onto my coil built bowl. The clay body itself is a crank- very grogged. 

I used a clear glaze onto the slip as well as a blue glaze for the inside. After firing, the slip has lost its sharp lines- more of a subtle white wash in areas. This could be from the application of the glaze as it was brushed on rather than dipped. I think its interesting to be able to see how the clay reacts to different glazes on the same piece.  

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Abstraction

Abstraction- I have glazed the experimental pieces made using extruded clay. I chose to highlight areas with a blue glaze and create different textures with the clear glaze. These are sculptural pieces rather than utilitarian. I am particularly interested in this piece. I love the juxtaposition between the tall organic shape and the square extrusion. I believe the principle of this design can be brought into practical pieces. 

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Another technique to try called Slip Trailing, taking inspiration from Clive’s work. Using a pipette to apply the slip, leaving behind trail marks of the slip. Its quite a free way to work, allowing you to create designs for the piece. 

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This is a tip I found online that I would like to try. I want to apply slip using both stiff brushes as well as found objects such as feathers. 

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William Papworth ceramics. 

Here are candle sticks made from grogged red earthenware clay brushed with hakeme slip.

I am fascinated by this technique as I love the way the slip leaves a texture of its own. It would be interesting to try various brushes and materials when applying the slip to see the outcome. 

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Products

Browse all products from georgieceramics.

Georgie achieves these clean lines using stencils when applying the slip. I think this is a very efficient way of creating imagery in negative spaces. It is very clever the way she has built up different layers using colour, but not overcrowding the pieces. 

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Ceramics | 10 Types of Pot Decoration | Discover Goldmark

It can be difficult to spot how different marks on a pot have been achieved. Here's our short guide to ceramic decoration to get you started.

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This is a larger abstract sculpture with the focus of using wood as the primary material. I began to deconstruct the pallet in order to alternate the positioning. The flexible nature of poplar contrast with the hard, weathered pallet. The poplar is able to add these sweeping gestures with the backdrop of a linear negative space.

I like the juxtaposition between the different wood finishes. I believe it has been successful not to ‘overcrowd’ the surfaces with materials and let the shapes ‘speak for themselves’.  

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Tom Raffield interview | Meet the maker - Enki Magazine

Celebrated widely throughout the industry for their iconic lighting and furniture designs our latest meet the maker is with the founder of Tom Raffield.

I am interested in looking at Tom Raffield’s work as he has a keen interested in sustainability as well as design. Raffield has experience with many different processes, the use of steam bending is of particular interest. 

The finished pieces have these beautiful shapes and curves, resulting in sculptural works with a functional purpose. The idea that something can be both beautiful and practical is an idea I would like to build off in my own work. 

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Experimentation with Abstraction

My primary focus when creating these abstract sculptures was to allow for various textures. The pieces themselves are impractical however they do express the different forms that can be made using clay. I found that working towards an abstract shape was a challenge for me as I favour objects that have a practical use as well as aesthetic value. 

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A Tate online resource for children, schools and teachers which explores the ideas and inspiration behind Henry Moore's sculptures. Suitable for Key Stage 2