So Many Fish

I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in a soda firing this past month. I have been looking forward to this all semester honestly; at first, it was going to be a soda firing, but we ended up going this route instead.

The idea for this project started last semester, when I made a work titled "Matthew 14:16-21" which told the story of when Jesus fed 5,000 people with only two loves of bread and a few fish. I wanted to broaden this concept, and continue to see how fish were represented biblically. The story I am telling here comes from the book of John.

"Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way:  Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.  “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead." John 21:1-14

I made a press mold of a trout which I had bought from BassPro Shop (Who has been responding to my posts on Instagram; I am actually super excited about this!). I have created about 64 of these trout, which are about 4inches long each, and I soda fired half of them. They were glazed in different ways, because I want each one to be unique. Once I am completely finished with this piece, I will have 153 fired fish that are hung on a wall and cast behind a fisher's net.

I am so excited about this, and I cannot wait to update you in the future!