Recent sketchbook work has been preparation for the coming casting and molding exercises.

sketch 20150808
I’ve written before that I regard this sample as the strongest in terms of a completed outcome (2-August-2015). Drawing this sketch and glancing at it on the pin board over the weeks actually had me going back to the course notes on recording outcomes, because I’m really beginning to understand the value and power of the process. I was already aware of the dynamic diagonals and the semi-transparent disguise, and perhaps the repetition of circles and bumps on circles. However what really is attracting and fascinating me are the indeterminate edges. Wraps disappear, lines change direction, bubbles form the edge but there are edges within edges, reflections and shadows complicate. Where is the edge?
It’s made me look again at other samples – p2-72 and the missing handle of course, but also the haze of p2-6. A quick search shows I have written multiple times about a fascination with boundaries, so I’m not sure why it feels like a revelation. Perhaps because I am beginning to develop a store of visual means, evoking (provoking?) that moment of hesitation and search for the edge.
sketch 20150809

Victoria Brown research page

Rebecca Fairley
research page

Sketch 20150815
The base is newspaper, with white gesso painted on then blotches of blue and brown acrylic paint when I tried to print off large bubble wrap (unsuccessfully). I cut some thin craft foam into shaped strips, then printed in red trying to create visual blocks from individual elements. Fast, fun, quite effective, plus it’s got me thinking about how to make the molding samples in some way uniform to build up into something larger.

Victoria Ferrand Scott
Research page

Lindsay Harris
Research page
Obviously lots of artist research outstanding, plus I haven’t yet blogged about materials research and selection or my list of goals/ideas for the exercises, but I feel the need to make a start on practical work before I overthink and it all gets stale.
T1-MMT-P3 Molding and casting – Initial sketching
Textiles 1 – Mixed Media for Textiles
Part 3: Molding and casting
Initial sketching
I’ve always been curious about gesso… is that what created the white ground? Does it have a but of tooth?
Enjoying reading your trains of thought and all the convolutions on the way.
Yes, a bit of a tooth, especially the rough way I’ve applied it here. I learnt to use it this way in a workshop with Gria Shead (https://fibresofbeing.wordpress.com/2012/09/09/drawing-workshop-with-gria-shead/). It’s waterproof, if put on thicker and flat it would be brilliant white, usually used for a painting ground, can be used on canvas, plaster, wood… I found the newspaper too loud first time, so knocked it back with some diluted gesso.
Letting all the thoughts hang out – otherwise I forget.