In the 3D workshop, we were inducted first into ceramics and then into resistant materials (that’s wood, metal, acrylic – anything you need a terrifying moving blade to cut).

In ceramics we were given a chunk of clay. We cut it into a square tile and created an abstract take on our cardboard sculpture from the first 3D workshop.

Next, we created clay walls and poured plaster in to take a mould.

Things to remember about the method in ceramics and plaster moulding:

• Use a cloth underneath your clay, lest it basically fuse with the plastic table.
• Use a wooden block when creating clay walls for your tile.
• When mixing plaster, use the green flexible rubber containers.
• Fill about a third full with water and try to saturate it with plaster until it’s like thick single cream.
• Mix with your hand and try to work out any lumps for about five minutes.

Was the research purposeful? Getting inducted into ceramics is incredibly useful. I hope I’ll head back in soon and make some of my own work. I like the idea of making small, sweet things. Maybe I should research some ceramic jewellery makers.

How could I have developed ideas differently? I feel like I did all I could this session because of time limitations, but I certainly could have developed further. I could have tried some more textures. If I did this again, I would have tried more textures pressed into the clay, so the plaster cast had more bumps rather than dents.

Things to remember about the resistant materials space:

• The big scary blade is called the band saw (I think). Turn on the dust extractors first. Use the push sticks if your hands are even THINKING about getting near to that blade. If you can see the teeth of the blade, it’s not moving and is safe. If you can’t – it’s moving.
• The smaller blade is easier to work with. Don’t go past 1cm thickness wood when you use it. The blade is known to snap, but if you don’t turn too tightly you should be okay.
• Turn on the dust extractor for the sanding machine before using it. Always sand on an area moving downwards.

How can I use what I learned? While woodwork isn’t really my forte, I like to think I’ll use the resource while I have it. Maybe making something to fortify an illustration… or if I ever learn bookmaking, I could cut a very thin slice of wood to be an actual functioning page in it!

Did I develop my ideas thoroughly? I was limited again by time and resources. The smaller saw was pretty much constantly in use. I really like the idea of using free scraps of material to make something pretty, though. I could make something that hangs with the kind of elegance of the smaller wooden sticks.

What didn’t work? I originally had a grand old plan to cut multiple semicircles of wood and somehow sand them into a 3D object. It just wasn’t practical, so those scraps got abandoned. I moved onto something slightly different which formed the final work.