Off day by Andrea Zimon

The work on its side. It looks better this way. 

I started out ambitious with my Frank Lloyd Wright inspired project plans.  But it proved too complicated. I simplified it. And then it broke. Not once but many times and I repaired it equal amount of times .

Bone dry, preparing for its next big break but not for stardom. 

Somebody said that if you have a bad piece, recycle the clay and start over. Glaze will not make a poor piece look better. They were right.  However, you don't have that luxury when you need a grade. 

Top view

As much as I am unhappy with this piece,I did learn something.  Using too thin slabs of clay is bad unless you want a lot of bone dry breakage or warping from the kiln. I learned about pacing myself better with my projects. Many of my projects were big and ambitious. They were almost too big for my artistic energy and physical energy to confine within a four month deadline. Finally, I learned acceptance (clay is very much about acceptance with so many stages to survive) but what do I want to do with that acceptance? Do I want to bemoan or chuckle at this epic fail? Laughter is always the better choice. 

Top view with cover. The cover originally fit well at the bone dry and bisque. It warped during the glazing stage. 

Pick out your favorite technical misfire!

Still on the other side of this, is that again I used a thin slab for a beach background for my shell which you have already seen. I like my shell but one of the tendrils broke and was sort of glued on by glaze so I made a background support  for it so the tendril would remain attached and could hang it on the wall. It warped but this worked for me and shell is in a better place for it. 

Bad artwork. It happens. It should happen. It helps the learning process. What is definition of insanity? Repeating the same process and expecting different results. Making mistakes is how we go forward successfully, of course, only if we learn from our mistakes. Or as artists want to do, 'That mistake is so cool. How do I do again? I almost want to do 'warped work' again. Would someone repeat the definition of insanity again?