Graphite, charcoal, indian ink and ashes
Lots of discussions and visits have taken place since my last post. The landscape and materials project for next year is taking form. I have spent quite a bit of my time researching the particular materials of each of the stopping points on my proposed journey which has made it difficult to ignore when I get into my studio. Rather than preempting the work and practical research that I want to form the focus of the 2013 project, I have been journeying around my studio (not hard as it is quite small!) working with the ordinary materials that probably everyone has in their studios. Taking a long and slow look at the ordinary things has been very interesting especially when I use them in the same way as I do found materials in the landscape. So instead of silt, chalk, mud and pigments from the soil and plants, I have been working casting linen pulp paper with graphite and charcoal, indian ink and ashes. I really think these are the most beautiful materials particularly when used as ‘stuff’ rather than as a means of depicting something else. Although of course things always do end up depicting something else in a way.
