After taking elements of ceramics last semester, I decided to continue on to take studio workshop this spring. I wanted to learn some new techniques, as well as improve upon the skills that I learned in the fall. My focus this semester was on colored clay and shaping vases. I used different shades of blue mason stain to wedge into our white clay body and then rolled coils of the blue clay onto our white clay body, creating the swirls in my vases. Blue is a very calming and whimsical color, and it reminds me of the water. Being a swimmer that loves summer and the beach, blue has always been a color that has inspired my art. In addition to the colored clay swirls, I glazed each piece with a palladium rim, in order to make it more unique. Palladium glaze can be very difficult, because it often runs down the piece in unexpected ways. People that know me well will tell you that I hate things I can’t control, but I wanted to go out of my comfort zone a little bit by using this glaze and leaving the outcome up to fate. As I head into junior year, I hope that I can find time in my schedule to get back in the studio and continue developing my craft.