Reflection- The World is My Oyster?

At the beginning of this project I wanted to do something with the concept of erosion because I had been thinking about the ocean and how much I miss it since moving here. However, after more thinking I decided I wanted to do a seashell. I liked the idea of holding the seashell up to your ear and listening to the past like you would listen to the ocean. I chose the oyster because it is a shell with personal significance because my dad was an oyster farmer when we lived in Maine, and when I think about that part of my life oysters are a commonly recurring theme. During one of the critiques Mr. Winslow suggested that I paint some lustrous glaze on the ridges of the oyster to make it look more artistic rather than I perfectly realistic model of an oyster. I really liked this idea and was interested in even creating a jewelry piece to go in the oyster. I experimented with Precious Metal Clay but it proved very difficult to fire the ring that I created. If I had more time I would like to try working with Precious Metal Clay again. I think it would work better if I made a smaller piece. I also think it would be interesting to make more ceramic jewelry inspired by seashells, or even a whole seashell inspired outfit to accompany the jewelry.

I chose the name “The World is My Oyster?” because as a senior in high school many people tell me that the world is my oyster insinuating that I can do absolutely anything with my life. However, to me these supposed words of encouragement are instead rather daunting. It seems like a false promise, implying that I am big enough in the to have access to boundless opportunities.