Today the wind has dropped to a modest breeze – but as a result the clouds are almost static making the sky an overall light grey with just an occasional glimpse of blue. So while the normal strong winds create excitement in the landscape, this quieter weather is easier to work in – especially for recording sound.
This season I have concentrated more on the ambient noises of the dig rather than recorded narrative – quiet discussions with the background sounds of scraping, shovelling and wheelbarrows. A good one made today while doing this drawing of scraping.
However some activities are silent – like ‘planning’, which is making detailed drawings of the archaeology. (The floating feet are an extension of the figure because the drawing went off the page…)
The Rock Lady continues to supply bags of ‘sweeties’ containing stones that make coloured marks, and I continue to collect these lovely shades of ochre.
These, together with more background videos are combining in my mind with my oil paintings and the ambient sound recordings. Not sure where this is leading but it’s stuff to do back in my studio.
Most of the day was spent gathering materials to convert a small hut on site into a cinema for Friday’s world premiere of my film about the Ness of Brodgar.
This afternoon I made it into Structure 10 for a couple of drawings.
Excavating a robbed out area where stones have been removed in the past.
And meticulous work scraping the floor of Structure 10
Today was mostly spent doing a final edit for the world premiere of my film about the Ness of Brodgar on Friday.
So just the one drawing today.
In Trench J they have reached ‘the natural’ – the earth that Structure 5 was built on.
Following on with the story of the big pot. Here is a piece now dry enough to be turned over, revealing its decoration.
It was removed from the big slab of pot (from the top right hand corner of the drawing) which continues to dry out and can be seen separating from the midden below.
This afternoon, I painted my final oil painting (to allow for drying sufficiently to be taken home in 10 days). It is a view of Trench J from the spoil heap and painted with some difficulty in a high wind. So I am extremely tired and very glad of a weekend off.
Back on Monday
After the excavation of the big pot comes the paperwork in meticulous detail.
Just one drawing as the day was mostly was spent sourcing technology for my film show next week. Later on with the return of Orkney winds, I made several sound recordings and videos of wind and water.
Tomorrow is the last day for oil painting – to give time for drying before travelling home in 10 days time.
