For my new project I am going to create an exposed coiled vase. The planning method for my coiled vase was first the shape of the vase. I went through many ideas, like making it either tall and not as wide or short and wide. Also how it curves, do I want a sharp change or a slight change. So after making the sketches, I decided on a 7 inch to 4 in wide vase. The curves are going to be a slight change instead of a sharp inward change. The design on the other hand was more complicated. I needed to find a way to make a design, and second actually be able to support the design.  I decided to make it based off of spirals. When I did my first design it had too many designs that would not have been supported. So I decided to just do a spiral design and in between them I will put little balls for them. I also wanted to different spiral sizes starting out with a middle – small- large. as I build up the layers I planned to make a coil not only for a design purpose but for support between the different spirals. Also in order to make sure I was following my vase’s shape, I had to create a template.

When I was making the different spirals I ran into many problems. The first one was making sure that when I was coiling the spirals were the same thickness. Then when I went to make them into spirals, they would always crack. So a solution was that I would spray the coil with water, then roll it. Quite frankly, it did work. Then when I went to put the spirals on by base they were not secure. So I then created little clay balls in order to help hold the spiral together. Then I went and added more slip and scraped the area where I would be putting the clay in order to securely fasten it. Also when I was placing the spirals around each other I decided to put a coil between the different level in order to more securely fasten the spirals

When I started this project, I knew it was going to be hard, so I welcomed the challenge. This project had many risks in it, the first one was tracing out the continents shapes from a paper and then putting it on a globe. This was challenging because tracing out a flat continent and then putting it on a globe has many problems with dilation. I had to make sure to shape the continents in a way so that they could fit on the globe.  Also when I did my globe, I had to make sure it wouldn’t cave in or flatten out when adding more pieces onto it because it was  hollow. So thanks to my teacher, she helped created a cushion for it, and I let it dry. Also when making my base I needed it to be strong enough to hold my globe. If it was not strong enough to support, it could have broken or cracked. So what I did was I added support inside of the base (like a pillar) in order to help it stand up. So overall this projects main risks was if it would be strong enough to support other pieces. I learned from this part of the project that you need to be patient. If I had rushed in and just put everything on top off each other without drying then the whole thing would have collapsed. I also gained a new technique of forming supports for hollowed out items. So next time I have a hollowed out item I can created a support for it in order to make it stronger.

This project was based off the Dewey Decimal system, and I got 400 which is language. I choose this because I love how languages interact and how they have very similar and contrasting ideals to them. So on my globe with the continents,  every continent on there would be a word that was translating into different languages. I choose the word “Hello” because that’s how you start a conversation. This project had a lot of languages needed to be translated so I used Google Translate. Some language teacher say not to use google translate but since it is a simple one word phrase, i used it. Then I had to write the phrase on the globe and I learned that languages were so complicated in their similarity to each other. The reason why is they are not just related by being on the same language branch, but from long interactions over periods of time. This really shows how just by humans interactions through warfare, trade, exploration, and the collapse of civilizations can form a language, change it, or influence it. So what it all boils down to, is that humans can really change the world around them just by saying “hello”.