This is my set of three! They are candle holders. Each one is about 3.5in. by 2.5in. They have almond-shaped cut outs in varying sizes all around the body, and are glazed entirely with maroon. The maroon whited out around the edges of the cut-outs, which created a pretty cool contrast. On this project I had to really pay attention to how I made each one, so that I could make the same shape and size each time. They vary slightly in size, butI was pretty happy with my ability to create three of the same shape. Same goes for when I cut out the holes for light-- I wanted to make sure all the cut outs were similar in shape, but still varied in size. Also Carving through a project was new for me. I had to be careful to leave enough room between each hole so that the structure would still be sound. I waited until they were all the way dry to sand them before putting them in the bisque so that they'd have a smooth outside. My art element is contrast-- there is contrast subtly between the edges of the glaze and the dark maroon, and also the contrast between the solid and the negative space, intended to let light shine through from the inside when lit with candles.

This is my plate! It's nine inches in diameter and rises one inch off the table at the lip. I carved out the design by hand. I glazed it using tomato red, dark blue in the design and clear on the rest of the project. I did the red and blue in blotches to create an irregular pattern that was still in complementary colors so it wouldn't clash. I had to exercise a lot of skills to throw this project and it took me a long time to be able to do it successfully. I had to be really careful to perfectly center the clay, and to center it low. Drilling and opening for a plate is a lot different than for a bowl or cylinder so that was an adventure. And keeping it centered and flat also required a lot of attention and care, but it was totally worth it! My art element is design. I carved out each line carefully to create movement across the piece that is interesting to look and has a "pattern" of sorts but never truly repeats.