I just couldn't resist...

...one more picture! Taken with my new camera this is a preview of the current direction of the work for degree show

I'm really pleased :) 

The colours make me happy :) 

The textures sing and the forms speak :) 

It's all starting to come together - yay!

Not Long Now...

....it really isn't!? With Easter break only a week away, time is a ticking.... 

I'm excited about these next few months though, and feel very honoured to be working alongside such talented people. It has been so great watching the skill level shoot sky high in recent months and there is such a buzz of activity in the studio, it's great going in everyday :) In terms of my own work, I don't want to disclose too much on here before the finish now, as there is still a level of mystique required before seeing the end product(s)! There has been a lot of talk this week regards degree show set up and about how we might be wanting to display our work. Having the showcase just recently has been great for that, looking at how and what people have been putting on show. 

My work for the show was this: 

There was a breakage in the right hand vessel before putting it up, and in a way, I actually quite like it! Learning to embrace the 'happy accidents' is half the fun of the creative journey... 

On that topic, the work of late has taken a bit of a turn...frustrated by the nature of the objects becoming 'just vessels' (due to the nature of their slip-cast process), I cut the bases off and started re-addressing their purpose, or non-purpose as it were: 

Altering them in this way began offering up new opportunities:

and with the successes of some recent glaze testing:

and considerations over where the process stops and the product/object begins:

there has been plenty of scope for a range of new objects:

Thinking about it, I might just leave that one there - as a final image before the completed collection...! There's lots to be getting on with in the meantime; business cards and a website to design, the more finalized pieces of the collection to make, glazing to do, pictures to take (with my new DSLR - well I had to treat myself to something after 8000 words didn't I!?) more drawing to do, paperwork to get in order... etc etc etc etc etc etc....

Here's to the next few months - what will be going up in my space....?

Dissertation

After months of research, writing and changing my question on a weekly basis, I have handed my dissertation in and here it is!




 Having left a bit of the proof reading until last, I have since realised there are a few typos (oops) I hope this doesn't effect the final mark too much and although it was tough getting it completed towards the end, I am glad I did it and in fact enjoyed it!

Creō

Each year on Decorative Arts, the 3rd year of the course brand themselves for their final year exhibition. We have called ourselves Creō (the latin of create) and since the end of last year we have been fundraising for the production of our end of year brochure. 

Remember the Before I Die... event? That kicked us off raising over £400! Since then, we have held an auction: 

where I secured these wins:

We also held a Christmas Fair:

selling drawings from the sketchcrawl:

plus other items from everyone on the course:

And after creating our brand logo, we hosted a really exciting showcase

Instigated by the lovely Melody

We held a one day pop up show with everyone from the course contributing some work. It was a great success, and secured some more funds for the brochure too - yippee!

You can follow Creō on facebook, twitter and instagram where we will be uploading exciting news and events

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...

Sketchcrawls and Burlesque Balls

This week has been full of some really lovely drawing experiences - yay! 

First of all I took part in another sketchcrawl around nottingham. We started off in The Exchange Arcade:

and I was very taken with the ceiling:

It started getting chilly so we packed up tools and head off to the Malt Cross, 

on our way we passed this picture perfect pigeon parade...

 Inside the ever so beautiful Malt Cross were some very welcome armchairs: 

delightfully hung bunting: 

compositional glassware: 

and almighty hot chocolates!

 After re-fuelling, it was time for the next venue: 

Nottingham Contemporary for the exhibitions Marvin Gaye Chetwynd and Tala Mandani

There was a participatory performance happening in the main gallery, 

aptly encouraging you to draw! 

Here's Laura taking part:

and my drawing of the drawing 'happening' :

Members of the crawl drawing from inside the Cat Bus:

and a quick detailing of some of the costumes on display:

Then, on Saturday, I went along to my first dr sketchy event! Yes!

I've been wanting to go to one for ages and after hearing they held one in Nottingham 

(plus a nudge from Laura) it finally happened! 

This ended up being their first date of the year so there was a real buzz about the crowd (a good 20 strong I'd say). I wasn't too sure what to expect, or what I needed to have with me so I loaded up like and art shop pack horse and took far too much material with me (surprise surprise!) Heavy-weight sketchpad in hand however I got started...

The poses were really quick, 5 min warm-ups to begin with:

With fantastic costumes to consider, fab music playing and all that difficult life drawing proportion stuff running around your head it made for a really interesting (albeit stressful at points) experience!

The poses got a little longer (10 mins) and there was talk of prizes...

Each 'round' of drawings from then on was judged by the model, and prizes were distributed to their favourites - what a great incentive for creating good mark-making!

I really enjoyed this longer pose (20 mins) and was rather taken by the feathery bustle 

(as you can probably tell!):

A half hour comfort break then back to some 5 minutes:

A few performances from the models plus a longer pose, where I wanted to get down some of the contrasting colours in the room:

More short studies with the alternating models:

And a final combination pose:

 that actually won me some prizes! 
(it's definitely not my strongest drawing of the day but hey, who's complaining!?!)

Here's my tote bag and zine win:

The bag's designed by Dr Sketchy organizer Charlotte Thompson 

and the zine by Sketchcrawl North contributor Andrea Joseph - wow!! Dead chuffed :)

I'm definitely going to try and make the next one (12th April) and will be recommending it to the now formed uni sketchcrawl crew! It was such a fun day out whilst making some interesting and alternative work in the progress - win-win!!