The birth of my blog, in the final throes of level 6!

The nights have drawn in and I find myself weaving again. I feel there is more to this and I need to explore it further.

 

There is something organic about the weaves. You can see every thread and mistake, every exposed and misshapen edge and its just gorgeous. When manipulated it can resemble gills, the stitches opening, before I then return it to its original shape, however there is always a memory of the movement. Copper thread gives the impression of strength but it is most fragile on its own. A copper weave is similar to any textile, when weaved the many become one.

So do not ask me why I decided to stitch it and turn it in to a sculpture and remove all the life. I think I had the word sea sponge  in my head and I could not move on from it. Sometimes you have to own the strange decisions you make and this is one of them.

I believe that the ‘Sea Sponge’ phase is now out of my system and i can appreciate the shape for what it is. The warp which continues from the weft unused is really interesting. It does resemble a sea urchin, an organic form. It does exploit the light to its advantage, my neighbours love it anyway.

I am continuing to weave.

 

We have the luck of playing with our work in a designated space. To either see how the work sits in the space or to work within the space. It’s a place to bounce ideas around and we are very lucky to have this.

I have observed my peers work exhibited in the ‘space’. Their, practice, their intricacies to investigate the deconstructions, negative space, and layers. It is beautiful how one can observe the patterns of others’ practices. Their ability to stay with a material or a way of working, honing their skills, I, cannot see such a path for myself and it makes me question what I am doing all of the time.

I am process based, I am taken by the moment, the material, and the emotion. I get an idea and then dump the whole chaotic process in one room. To stick with the fun theme of the balloon. I wanted to incorporate playfulness in art.

I wanted the viewers to participate in the artwork, to pick it up, handle it, see what’s involved, and how it looks underneath. It’s not about the sophisticated white plaster, it’s about an art piece collecting the memory of the viewer, the fingernail mark, and the slight abrasion to assist the art to evolve.

I also wanted to address my recent annoyance whilst attending a couple of galleries recently. The signs on the wall, the lines on the floor, and how the viewer deals with the ‘line’ if placed in unusual ways.

I had some wonderful feedback, it was good to hear that people struggled with the contradictions of red lines and the texts that requested people “Pick me up” next to the art piece.

I also realized that my own need to dump my idea in a room, could be done but I had forgotten the fundamental rules of presentation. I forgot about disabled access, I had left the nails in the wall from the previous exhibitor. The plinths were scruffy and the plaster disappeared into the surroundings.

I had a chat with Jane and she suggested that I explore other ways, with what I have in the room. To play with the lines.

So, Red Tape, which usually stops people from doing anything has allowed me to explore how shapes and lines change the aspect of the space and how colour enhances, compliments, or overshadows the work.

To me this looks terrible, it’s so far from what I wanted to achieve that it has allowed me to understand that somewhere in the middle, this display could have been so much better. I know that the space is part of the installation not just a room. I will be experimenting with the placement of the art, it doesn’t have to be on a plinth, does it? Pigmentation for plaster and size. Lots to think about.

I was gifted some willow. I built a drainpipe soaking facility                       (discovered that ‘drain bungs’ were an actual thing).

I soaked the willow 1ft = 24 hrs. so 7ft is 7 days.

I checked after 7 days the thicker ends required a further 48 hrs to soak. I raised one end in order to protect the thinner parts from rotting.

I then drained the water and let the willow rest. I however let the willow rest longer than I should. The resulting willow was still difficult to work with, instead of curved forms, I had many angles.

I tried to form a shape around a cone to no avail

I then sketched a potential willow eyelash

The willow drooped sadly. I was left to just incorporate the willow into itself, creating a sort of basket/ dome shape.

Today was a bit of a failure, however, it brought to my attention, that precision is needed, to record details and set reminders. Make the time or don’t do it. Wastage annoys me, and I wasted the willow sadly.

 

After visiting the Tate Modern and discovering the wonders of Maria Bartuszova ceramics.

I decided to consider the balloon. The latex balloon is not a terrible product, it’s made from latex  (milked) from a rubber tree and starts to decompose the moment it hits the air. The balloon rots back into the earth in the same time it takes wood to rot, approx two years. It’s the colouring and the releasing of the balloon which causes the environmental issues.  So I had taken the fun out of the balloon.

I am a mother and always have a balloon or 50 in the house, so the mission was to fill a balloon with plaster of Paris without destroying my kitchen.

I did destroy my kitchen, but in for a penny eh!

I had to experiment with the consistency and timings of the plaster in order to fill up a balloon to replace my breath.   As you can see on the broken creeper, there are many air bubbles, which were created by a plunging action. This was a difficult process to do on one’s own. I need an assistant and to not be in my kitchen.

Once the plaster had set, some balloons split resulting in these amusing forms., while others remained on the plaster. I preferred the balloons to remain but I had already planned an exhibition in the art space at University. I want the plaster to evolve.  The balloons also made me think of pigments to create vibrant casts. On my to-do list.

I wanted to achieve a cast inside a piece of wood, to create, squashed, bulbous forms, to express the playfulness of the material, and also to record marks of the unseen areas. I have achieved all and more, i would like to explore this further.

 

 

I am not going to explain, I do what I do.

Not wanting to encourage the child within and gather leaves to create a large image to be observed from a tree branch, i ran off to sit in the trees.

Observing the detritus formed by the rotting tree bark and leaf, i realised the richness of the colour was too good to ignore and applied it to my sketch pad. Not only was it beautiful to apply, but the aroma of the woods in autumn were now sinking into my page. I had with me only limited drawing utensils , and drew the shapes of fungi, cracks in the lumber where the limbs of the tree had come away from the body.

I noticed the variety in colour of the fallen willow leaves and wanted to somehow create a weave or a collage as the tree becomes chlorotic and ceases to synthesize. My intention was to create a delicate array of changing colour.  I adapted my keyring and cut into the sketch book page and attempted to weave. This was cut short by a mass of gnats.

Using mud from the ground, which was very moist, along side charcoal to capture the form of the leaf, I noticed the texture and application to be more determined. The mud created a completely different effect. It was easily controllable, defined mark making, did not bleed or smudge. I may use this again.

Charcoal branch- The rest of the tree was only starting to shed its leaves, this branch was physically ‘branching out’ like it was trying to reach the tree beside it for warmth or protection. Maybe this branch symbolises the the fingers of sleep by the Queen of Winter, the Cailleach. I hope she is not too harsh this year.