Intention in your work

* Intention 

- an idea or plan of what you are going to do.

 - a determination or plan to do a specific thing.

as opposed to

- aimlessness, chance occurrence, digressions. 


I would like you to consider the idea of adding ‘Intention’ to your work. Look at the images below taken from a facebook page “JTMcMaster Artisanal Ceramics. 

Poppies


Here is a very simple idea. This is one cane where the colors are stacked vertically so each slice produces a different color.

A little planning in your design gives you many colored flowers rather than one flower with many colors.




HEARTS


Notice how many ways the artist found to design a heart.


The groupings are held together by the similarities of liveliness, background design and color. 

You would easily know they were made by the same person. For the sales person, I point out that many price points are covered to encourage sales.

Dishes brownBlue Vases




Another elegant idea.


Could a pattern get much simpler yet still capture the imagination?









Variations on blue and white … one of the all time favorite combinations for porcelain people.


The patterns are not complex but the results are gorgeous and they make lovely combinations.




Platters




Another simple idea taken to a gorgeous conclusion.

Notice how the dishes could be mixed because they all relate to each other in at least on or two colors.




Nell 3



Now, take a moment to admire the work of Nell Hazinski. a potter in Pennsylvania. Though the brown hues come from wood firing, the simple pattern are definitely a WOW factor on any set of plates or wall tiles.


INTENTION

Go beyond making canes and images that ‘sort of’ end up looking like you wanted them to … stepping up to planning and executing a specific idea. Taking your idea from sketch to color to cane to object … all the while,  keeping on course.

   

An idea goes from pencil to color … then to cane and finished vase. 

     

I can imagine you saying to yourselves that the one above is too complex … so let's move back a bit and try putting the same steps into action at a simpler level.

ALL STEPS can be arranged focusing on how you think/work.

Choose your actual design idea

Choose your color palette

Make a few sketches and color them in

Mix your colors and secondary shades

Test fire your colors to make sure they are right

( If you don’t have a test kiln right now, cross your fingers and go! )

Plan your cane/canes color placement before you start

Make your canes paying close attention to your sketches

Use your canes to make at least 3-4 pieces that go together either by pattern, color, background or shapes.

POST pictures of your progress and your results on the facebook group “Color/Colour in Clay

HAVE FUN

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 © Chris Campbell 2019