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Katie Mathews
Ceramics 258
Professor Greidanus
Self-Evaluation
December 15, 2015
The Assignments:
1. Pinched Vessel: When I first saw the studio in ART 153 I remember being mesmerized
by a small, simple thin and cracking pinched pot that Prof. Greidanus used as an example
before we began our work. It could fit in the palm of your hand, was glazed on the
interior, and had a red iron oxide finish on the exterior. I thought it was beautiful.
Therefore, when we were assigned a pinched vessel at the beginning of the semester, I
knew I had to use that form as the inspiration for my own. I ended up created a pinch pot
that is about 4 inches tall and 2 inches wide. I glazed it with Ohada Red on the interior,
poured once, and then finished with two light applications of red iron oxide on the
exterior to highlight the beautiful cracking patternsmuch like Prof. Greidanus own
piece.
2. Concept Vessel (Spiritual Beggars Bowl): When I think of need, the image that comes
to mind is of a worn down man with outstretched arms grasping a rusty tin can that I once
saw in New York. Growing up in Alaska, we rarely have beggars or homeless on the
streets due to the severe weather, and when I first visited NYC I was both shocked and
saddened by what I saw. Therefore, my beggars bowl is a reference to that memory of
seeing the poor old man holding out a tin can, desperate for any kind of hope with a
longing in his eyes that was almost haunting. The form itself was made from a slab that
was scored and slipped onto a slab base. It is 10 inches tall and about 4 inches wide. On
the surface of the can I scored and slipped a banner that reads which is Hebrew
for God bless. I chose Hebrew to remind my audience of Biblical times and Gods
mercy. The piece was dipped in munga simple glaze which was intentional, and then
the inside was poured with the metallic Malcolm Davis shino to symbolize the wealth and
blessings that those of us who are more fortunate are able to pour into the lives of those in
need. The lid of the tin can was handmade and was also dipped in Malcom Davis.
3. Squeezed Pinched Form: I stayed fairly true to this assignment by simply squeezing a
small handful of clay and then smoothing it out. The form was then dipped in Walleys
Beige. I actually really liked how this piece turned out because it ended up looking
almost like bone due to the speckling in the glaze and the matte appearance of it.
4. Pinched Series: Growing up, my grandma always had teacups. They were hanging on
the walls, decorating her tables, and could be found in almost every cupboard. Her
grandmother had started acquiring and collecting them in the 1800s, and my own
grandmother continued the tradition. However, she has begun to pass down the teacups to
her six granddaughters with the hope that we will each begin a collection of our own. As
a result, this tiny pinched tea set is symbolic of my grandmother and her passion for

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history and antique tea sets. The glazing is simpleblue underglaze accents with clear
mung on top.
5. Chop Mark: My chop mark is very symbolic of my identityit is a moose antler,
which represents my home and my childhood. Being so far from home I have grown to
appreciate it much more than I ever thought I would, thus, I made my chop mark to
remind me of home.
6. Coil Pot: I am a history major and particularly love Tudor history (King Henry VIII,
etc.). Therefore, I researched Tudor ceramics until I found the inspiration for this coiled
piece. It is a simple, functional vessel about a foot high. It has a small handle on the side
and was typically used for water or oil in the 1500s. Unfortunately, as much as I loved
this piece, glazing for this one was not in my favor. I dipped it in Malcolm Davis shino
but ended up doing an extra coat on the top half. As a result, the glaze was too heavy and
it crawled at the top. That being said, it was still a learning experience.
7. Narrative Series: The narrative series proved to be quite the roadblock for me. I really
wanted my pieces for it to be meaningful, but I just could not come up with an idea.
However, I ended up putting it off long enough that something finally happened in my
life that was able to influence and inspire a small series. This past year I had an
unfortunate falling out with two close friends, and after the most recent one happened, I
was left feeling betrayed and angryit really felt like a small part of my world had just
exploded out of the blue, shattering those friendships. To represent the emotions that I felt
during those times, I decided to throw two circular pieces to represent globes. I then
pulled a chunk out of the top of the first and larger one so as to make it look like a piece
of it had been blown off. The second globe shaped piece is smaller with a small whole on
the top to represent the patched up area from the first. I then painted a world map onto
both using green and blue underglaze and etched into the bottom of the smaller one the
word overcome to represent my need and my ability to overcome tough situations in
life. I then made four small forms to put inside the larger globe. An owl to represent one
of my friends that betrayed me, the number 23 to represent the other (these both relate to
the persons), a broken heart, and a teardrop. The idea was that, when turned upside
down (like my world was), those four pieces would fall out of the shattered part of the
form representing the parts of my life that are no longer there. The other, smaller globe,
however, would remain empty to represent that though my world is now smaller, there is
room for those places in my heart to be refilled.
8. Slab Form: My slab form is based off of a slab mug that I found online. I made it by
wrapping a slab around a cardboard cylinder. The place where the two ends of the slab
meet are at an angle and look almost like the collar of a sleeve. I then scored three button
like dots onto the seam and the carved stripes at an angle all around the mug. After that, I
pulled a handle and scored/slipped it on the side. This piece took a lot of time to create
due to the detail (carving those lines wasnt easy!) but I was very pleased with how it
turned out. I then glazed the stripes with alternating Oribe and Cobalt Mung and poured
the inside with DCB9.

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9. Final Project: For my final series I wanted to create a British tea set. I started by
throwing the parts of a teapot and then scored them together. I then threw three small
teacups and three saucers for the cups. I applied handles to all the drinking vessels and
then began the work on the topper for the teapota detailed British crown complete with
the cross on top and faux mink fur at the bottom. I then painted each piece with porcelain
slip. I was so pleased with how everything turned out, but, as I went to glaze the topper, it
broke in my hands. This was a huge disappointment because I was beyond excited to see
the finished set and because I had spent so many hours working on the topper. This also
put a halt to my glazing. The original plan was to paint the Tudor Rose of King Henry
VIII on each cup and then paint the crown topper, but the crown was the central element
of that. As a result, I continued with glazing the teapot in clear mung as planned and
made the saucers half clear mung/half copper mung, but the teacups remain unglazed. I
plan to complete the set in the spring when I have the time.
Other work (apart from the assignments):
Three large bowls thrown
o 2 Walleys beige exterior, cobalt mung interior
o 1 copper mung exterior, DCB9 interior
7 mugs 6 thrown and 1 slab
{The cup loan at the beginning of the semester really encouraged me to pursue building
mugs. I loved the idea of holding in your hands such a personal piece and mugs and other
functional forms remind me of history and how stoneware has been used for decades,
particularly in the form of drinking vessels}
o 1 Hardings Oxblood
o 1 Reitz green with Walleys Beige on top, DCB9 interior
o 1 Reitz green polka dots with W. Beige on top, Peach Bloom interior
o 1 half dipped Hardings Oxblood/Walleys Beige, Peach Bloom interior
o 1 Peach bloom with mung accent at bottom
o 2 have yet to be glazed
3 small pots thrown
o 1 cobalt accent with clear mung on top over porcelain slip
o 1 Ohada red interior, Malcolm Davis shino exterior
o 1 Reitz green with DCB9 interior
2 small pinched pots
o 1 Malcolm Davis shino
o 1 Titanium White
Ring holder thrown
o DCB9 and turquoise underglaze with mung
3 plant potters thrown
o 1 half cobalt mung/Walleys beige
o 1 Hardings Oxblood
o 1 has yet to be glazed
2 cups thrown
o 1 copper mung exterior, DCB9 interior

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o 1 has yet to be glazed
I learned so much about the nature of the clay body this year. I learned that it
takes patience to become familiar with ithow it feels in your hands, how it fights you
on the wheel, and how it absorbs anything and everything. I learned that making good
pieces takes patience too. Coming into ceramics however, my central goal was to throw
on the wheel, so, in early October I decided it was time to conquer the beast and just do
it. As I attempted to make a measly little pot that first time, I was shocked at how
resistant and stubborn the clay was. I watched as my arms were thrown about by the
small brown lump on the spinning wheel and I was in awe. I quickly learned that
throwing would take much more time and effort than I had ever imagined, but that didnt
dissuade me. I had Eric teach my how to center and I started coming in every Saturday,
and even Sunday on an occasion or two, to sit at the wheel and work on my technique.
After all of that, Im happy to say that Im really quite pleased with how much I
progressed this semester in relation to throwing on the wheel. I eventually figured out
how to bring up walls, add detail, create lids and plates, and build feet. That being said, I
really hope that I am able to take ceramics once more in the future to learn even more and
to grow even more as an artist.
As for the surface of the clay body, I immediately discovered my love for
porcelain slip, I remember watching the advanced students do demonstrations halfway
through the semester and as soon as I saw the brightly colored pieces (that I would later
learn had been slipped) I knew I wanted to be able to recreate the same surface on my
own pieces. However, I gained an appreciation for the natural beauty of raw, fired
stoneware as well. They both have such different appearances, but they are each
beautiful. The other thing I learned this semester was to give each glaze a chance. For
example, when I saw pieces with Walleys Beige come out of the first firing I thought it
was the ugliest glaze of them all. It was splotchy and matte and, due to my affinity for
bright colors, I really disliked it. However, if you look at the list of my pieces above, you
can see that I used Walleys Beige on many of my pieces. As Professor Greidanus says,
you learn to love the pieces that you at first may not like. I found that to be so true,
especially when it came to glazing. I also found that statement to be very true when it
came to firing in general. I discovered that it is crucial to not have expectations when
glazing and firing pieces because, no matter what, some of them are going to turn out
completely different than anticipated. But thats okay. Sometimes the pieces that
disappoint you at first become your favorites! For example, I really hated my
Hardings/Walleys/Peach Bloom mug at first because the glazes turned out different than
expected, but I now love it and appreciate it for what it is.
Much like the process of glazing, I gained a whole new appreciation for the firing
process this semester. I had no idea how involved it is and how the kiln, much like the
clay body, is a whole other beast in itself. I heard a student remark this semester that the
kiln really took over with some of her pieces and, although that might sound funny, I
think that its a very valid statement. The kiln decides what shade and size your pieces
will be, the kiln determines whether or not you were diligent and responsible during the
glazing process, and the kiln decides whether your pieces were strong enough to survive.
That being said, I think the statement that sums up my experience with the firing process
this semester is that the kiln has gained my utter and complete respect.

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Ceramics 258 gave me a deep respect and appreciation for other things as well
particularly in terms of my new found eye for ceramic forms in the real world. When I
watch a girl walk past me in the fish house with a mug of coffee in hand I immediately
find myself thinking about the process that went behind creating that simple, functional
form. Ceramics enhanced my everyday life by giving me that appreciation, for I now see
beauty in places that I otherwise may not have.
As far as progress goes, like I mentioned above, Im very excited about my
growth as a ceramicist this semester. It makes me hunger for the opportunity to pursue it
further and I really do hope that I get to take the course again within the next year. The
community aspect of the studio and the amount of time and effort that you (yes you Prof.
Greidanus!) have invested into each of your students is such an encouraging thing to
experience at Calvin and really fueled my passion to pursue the arts in ways that I would
not have if I hadnt taken ART 153 with you two years ago.
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