Final Outcome – Ceramics hawks claw

Day 1

We were given the option to chose a workshop, either ceramics or felt making. I chose to do ceramics for two reasons. My first reason was because I wanted to start a workshop that I already knew what I was doing in it, that was I could instantly start and know what I was doing, instead of having to learn a whole new process. the other reason for choosing ceramics is because I wanted to create a realistic piece, whereas felt making isn’t as specific and detailed.

I looked on the internet for images of animals/human, and their senses, and chose 2 images. One of a human ear, and the other of a hawks claw. We were asked to make up to 5 samples, so I chose to make 2 samples.

Equipment list:

• Buff clay
• Wooden board
• Piece of fabric
• Roller
• Guides
• Knife
• Scalpel
• Pot of water
• Brush

The first piece I chose to do was the human ear. I started out by cutting out a tile from the clay, to use as a base. I then began to work in relief, by adding clay and slip to build upward. Here are some images of this process and the image I was working from:

Using my fingers, and a scalpel, I then engraved into the clay to create the grooves and indents that were necessary. I found this really difficult because it was so small so I easily caught my fingernails on the clay which meant damaging the surface of it. I also found the piece was very fragile and it was easily deformed by being handled.

I was pleased with the overall outcome of the final ear because I felt like it looked realistic and represented hearing and sound well.

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The next piece I did was the hawks claw. I chose to do this because I wanted to set myself a challenge which I knew I could achieve if I put enough thought and time into it. I chose to do a hawks claw because it isn’t human, as well as it represents a key feature of many birds, as the feet and claws are generally the most important part of hunting and survival as their main sense of touch.

I chose the following 2 images to refer to as I was creating the piece. The reason I used 2 images is because I needed a reference for the front and back of the foot.

I started out with a large clump of clay, which I used to create the solid cuboid for the foot to be perched on. The reason I chose to do a cuboid is because it is the same as the first image I was refering from, in which the hawk is stood on a small wall of some kind.

After creating the stand, I build upward by making the stump of the leg. I chose not to continue up the leg for 2 reasons. Firstly, the images I was refering from didn’t have the legs featuring. Secondly, I knew it would add much more work to my piece as I would have to create feathers which could have lead to too much weight on top of the foot itself. Then I added the first claw, which was on the rear of the foot. So far I found this fairly simple as I was able to work holding the piece in my hand and could move it however I desired. Once the first claw was attached, I then set the piece up on a turning stand, which meant the piece was higher up so I could work easier, as well as I could spin the top so I could work around the piece easier. Here are some images that show the development of my piece:

As I began making the claws, I had to use folded pieces of cardboard to support the suspended pieces, otherwise they would have bend out of shape, or may have broken off.

The following images show how I created the claws. I used a stump of clay and attached that to the main piece, then I made the claw end and attached it to the stump using crosshatching, slip and then a layer of clay wrapped around the joining point. The reason I used crosshatching, slip and a wrapping of clay is because the joining point between the two pieces was really weak and doing this made sure the pieces were held together strong enough.

This was the finished piece, without scales on it. I knew I wanted to add scales however I wasn’t able to do them for 4 days, therefore I had to wrap the piece tightly and ensure it would still be able to be worked on. To do this I had to put a piece of damn blue towel on the turning stand, and then wrapped it in cling film and a plastic bag, sealed using masking tape.

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Day 2

When it came round to applying the scales, I decided to create a test tile first using different techniques to work out which style of scales I was wanting to create. The first technique I chose was engraving into the surface of the test tile,  making little circles. I didn’t think this was an effective way to create scales because it didn’t look realistic, along with the other 2 indenting techniques. However the technique which looked most effective was the relief work of building outward of small balls of clay.

 

 

I chose to use the technique of making little scales and adding them onto the piece because I thought it look the most realistic and effective. I would score the surface of the claws, added water and then applied the scales. Here is the development of the piece:

Here are 3 images of the final finished piece:

I am really proud of this piece because I think it looks really effective and that the claw is realistic. I found the process easy as I enjoyed making the whole piece and took my time. I am likely to use this ceramic piece, or create another ceramic piece, in my final major project. I enjoy using clay and seeing structures or sculptures appearing therefore I am inspired to have ceramics as a part of my FMP.