It's all about the Making...

After treating myself to the wonderful book Making and Drawing I feel inspired to update on some of my recent making.

Making for me in very much a part of the drawing process, in fact, it could be seen as an exploration of line and mark itself. 

Surface, texture, form and conversations.

Let's have a look at what's been going on...

Exploring the relationship between size, weight, line and clay body 

these two objects have an interesting dialogue:

I have taken a cast of the inside and reverse of the same mould here 

and the surface quality is again interesting..

The way it picks up the stitch is magical:

And the depth of the line draws you in further still:

I then stopped to think about what has been happening during the whole process of the making....

> During slip-casting you are always left with waste slip. 

> Reusing the flexible moulds pushes them to their limits. 

They begin to disintegrate and become unusable, but surely this is not the end of their use?

I started to consider how I could utilise all of this....

and through a process of composing with the waste cloth:

...using the excess slip to take a cast or in this case 'print':

I have been presented with some interesting results:

Taking this further into the positioning of stitch, line and altered surface - 

 you are offered a whole new line of enquiry still!

I'm quite excited by this process and see lots of potential in its capabilities longer term.... 

I wonder how this might work in to my current degree show set up however, 

could this become part of / a canopy in itself?

and what about these forms:

They are starting to take shape a bit more too...

It's not that long away now, when this work will be up on show

I can't wait to see it!!!

But for now, it's on with the making...

We illustrate to say goodbye...

So today is the last day :( and after cleaning the house we have a last session drawing on the front terrace. When saying goodbye, there's no better way than representing it by line so whilst everyone sat here:

I drew them!

We said adiós to the village

Then relaxed on the beach, before we head home

And that was my trip! 

A roller coaster of mark, line and colour - I'm really glad I booked on to it! It's given me a sense of place within my work this coming year that I just don't think I would have got by staying at home. The sketchbook has been a place for me to think, explore and dream and bookending the long summer with drawing trips has been the best. Now it's back to reality, and the grindstone of uni, third year, life! Let's see what the next 9 months might bring....

Hasta la vista Cutar, hasta próxima vez

Exploring mark-making and the 3D object

Using my favourite outcomes from the mark-making exercise last term, I have created a series of 3D objects. 

Choosing: 

Paired with: 

From Slippery Smack to Frosty Shake!

Today was all about mark-making with Martyn. Using graphite, pencil, rubber and chalk we created a series of exploratory marks. These were made in reaction to a strange combination of words and below are the results of the day:

This was a really interesting exercise and a good one to come back to on those days of creative block. After working on white paper we used coloured chalk and pencil on coloured paper, this time making marks in reaction to band names! It really challenged your perception of what is and how that can be represented my mark and line. I'm definitely using this exercise again!

"Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow"

Now I know it's a bit early to be singing Christmas songs but I went to a really exciting lecture today on the international snow carving competition at Harbin University, China! NTU takes part in it each year and has in fact won it in recent years too! Applications take place in September, it's all expenses paid - I'm definitely going to apply! 

It was then quite appropriate that I should arrive home to an email from my mum siting this amazing article on mymodernmet.com If I'm ever bored in the snow again, I know just what I'll be doing! Thanks mum!

Man Walks All Day to Create Spectacular Snow Patterns

• Posted by Katie Hosmer on February 23, 2012 at 1:45pm
• View Blog

Artist Simon Beck must really love the cold weather! Along the frozen lakes of Savoie, France, he spends days plodding through the snow in raquettes (snowshoes), creating these sensational patterns of snow art. Working for 5-9 hours a day, each final piece is typically the size of three soccer fields! The geometric forms range in mathematical patterns and shapes that create stunning, sometimes 3D, designs when viewed from higher levels.

How long these magnificent geometric forms survive is completely dependent on the weather. Beck designs and redesigns the patterns as new snow falls, sometimes unable to finish a piece due to significant overnight accumulations. Interestingly enough, he said, 'The main reason for making them was because I can no longer run properly due to problems with my feet, so plodding about on level snow is the least painful way of getting exercise. Gradually, the reason has become photographing them, and I am considering buying a better camera.” Spectacular art for the sake of exercise!