Fusions in Metal and Movements in Clay

Continuing with the technique of drawing > wire > roller, I stumbled across an interesting fusion. Using scraps of metal from the off cut bin, and specifically with aluminium, there is an interesting affect that occurs:

It fuses, almost like an inlay in wood. I think it's very special.

The surface texture is quite delicious, what an exciting secondary act !

And further here with textured aluminium - the possibilities with this are so exciting!

Earlier this week we had a workshop with the clay bully. The extrusions from this are adaptable according to plates. Here are my extrusion experiments, I love the way they have movement! Once fired I will look to glaze these and introduce them to the wire drawings.  

Developing in Wire and 3D Drawing

Whilst working through my last project I have become enveloped by the notion of conceptual drawing. This is something I want to push over the coming year and am excited for where it might lead. I was pointed in the direction of Fritz Panzer the other day, he creates HUGE spatial works that have real energy to them - I love it!

Anthony Gormley can be found in this bracket too - just look at those manic swirls!

My own drawings and creations are starting to take some kind of form. I'm struggling for what they 'are' or 'where they belong' but all will become clear in time I am sure/at least hope! 

drawings becoming forms...becoming drawings? again?

drawing from the page...

and literally jumping out of it! 

Resulting in a funny set of characters! But which performance are they acting out?

Addressing tension and the sense of space, pull, motion, stillness....

but where will it all lead next?

I found my tutorial today quite helpful, with suggestions of playground structures and how they react to the space. 

my chosen location: the old rum distillery in Spain

So I am going to continue playing with wire and bring to that some ceramic forms too. We'll see how they interact with one another and from that create the stage for the end product, or idea, or pieces or whatever it's going to turn out to be!

Working In Wire

Whilst exploring ideas for my first project of the year and battling with the predicament of 'where do I fit - 2D or 3D?' I decided to take some of my drawings and start reproducing them three-dimensionally. I bought some modelling wire and got myself down to the shiny new metal workshop! 

Having the drawings as reference in front of me I drew with the wire and a pair of pliers. It was really good fun! :) 

After drawing and getting them to stand, I placed them on a piece of scrap metal and took it through the roller, this produced a really nice effect...

Really illustrative still and containing the life that I seem to have in my drawings, so i continued with some more:

Then approached some other areas of the sketchbook, fixing on this little guy, with his monocle!

Creating a bounce, he sat on the workbench

Then went through the roller and flattened into a new form of flight!

I'm curious as to where they might lead, but in terms of getting back into the workshop, combatting my fear of making that I have sometimes this felt like a really productive exercise and I nice ease in to week one, year 2!