Critical/Reflective Thinking

My artifact connects to my Core Competency because I believe ceramics requires a lot of critical thinking in general. I developed my ideas based on my identity and personal connections. This specific ceramics piece focuses on my childhood because I’ve recreated one of my favorite characters growing up. I wanted my gnome to be recognizable in a way but also differently displayed in my own style. I considered what the purpose of a garden gnome is and its original uses. It is said to be a symbol of good luck but is also believed to watch over the garden crops. I always kept in mind the color combinations, found a suitable palette for the piece, and thought about how I wanted to mold each piece into a finalized structure. I decided to separate the piece into 6 pieces (3 pairs), The face, ears, torso, legs, arms, and lower body. This was to ensure that the pieces do not break apart after it is put in the kiln. I took pictures of my progress so that I could see the improvement throughout the course. I asked for feedback from my peers and received quite positive feedback from them. Improvements for next time: I would like to improve my time management because often I feel unsatisfied with my piece because I want my art pieces to look more complete. I would consider what I want to work on in each class so that I get straight to it instead of wasting time thinking about it.