We started Unit One by learning how to design and create our own stamps. For my project, I decided to make a stamp covered in spirals because I’ve always liked how they look simple but eye-catching. At first, it didn’t turn out the way I imagined. The lines weren’t transferring cleanly, and the spirals looked messy. I experimented with different carving tools and tried adjusting the pressure, but nothing seemed to fix the problem. I ended up starting over three different times, each attempt teaching me something new about how the material worked and how careful I needed to be with each cut. On the fourth try, I finally figured out the right technique and got the stamp to print clearly, which felt really satisfying. By the end, I had a design that I was proud of and a much better understanding of how patience and practice can improve a piece of art.
To wrap up Unit One, we moved on to a project using underglaze. For this step, I decided to create something that ended up looking kind of like a bug. There wasn’t any special reason for choosing that design—it was simply the first idea that caught my attention when I sat down to start. At the time, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to make, so I just went with that first spark and let it guide me. As I worked, I played around with the shapes and colors, adding little details until the bug-like figure started to feel complete. Even though it wasn’t planned, I actually enjoyed how spontaneous the process was, and it reminded me that sometimes the best pieces come from simply following your instincts instead of overthinking.
After finishing the stamp project, we moved on to an assignment focused on creating faces. This part of Unit One took me a while to figure out, because shaping features that actually looked like a face was harder than I expected. At first, I wasn’t even sure what kind of expression I wanted to create. I just started sketching and adjusting, experimenting with different shapes for the eyes, nose, and mouth. Little by little, it began to come together, even though I couldn’t quite decide if it was meant to be a specific character or just an abstract face. By the end, I think it turned out to be a happy face—or at least it gives off a cheerful vibe when I look at it now. The process reminded me that sometimes art doesn’t have to match a perfect plan; it can just develop naturally as you work.
