Robert Lee

These are three of my accomplished pieces that I have created during this nine weeks of advanced ceramics. These pieces all show different forms of construction and glazing methods.

 The first piece acts as a functional cup and was crafted using slab formation. The glaze on this piece is particularly unique and personally my favorite combination of glazes I've discovered. Iron red, dark red, and a clear coat created a very unexpected result.

The next piece was wheel thrown and although a tad too thick, turned out to be a very smooth and pleasantly functional form. It could be used as a cup or pot for holding pens, pencils, etc. I dips the piece in two different glazes. Coral pink first, and a second layer of teal.

The final piece is rather small but still one of my favorites. A simple rugged pinch pot was formed to look like a flower. To keep the piece organic, I partially glazed the pot in mink brown and moss. I left parts of the pinch pot unglazed for texture and the natural color of the ceramic piece.

Throughout the semester I studied an all American ceramic artist Hugh Robertson. Robertson co-managed a ceramics shop in Massachusetts with his father and eventually manufactured most of their inventory. Hugh Robertson largely used wheel and coil construction to for functional bowls, pots, vases, and more. Robertson had a very clean method of throwing and building so that his final products look elegant and pristine. My work differs in that i don't strive for perfection but prefer in some instances the rugged quality of hand made pieces.

Advanced ceramics has widened my horizons pertaining to different forms of construction such as coil, wheel, pinch, and slab formation. I have learned knew methods of glazing, and gained new appreciators for the art of ceramics.