Tuesday 13 December 2011
Some More recent tests.
So, as per usual, i have tragically failed to keep blogging regularly.
here are some of my more recent Stoneware tests - using a mixture of glazes and slip with my underglaze pencil...
And here are some of my Almington Test bowls - fired to stoneware with clear glaze. They did have a thin ozide wash in the scratches but it was too thin and the high temperature burt it off. I do liek these lots but the colour is too solid - for this project i want softer, more subtle surfaces.
i have also written my Extended Essay in the last couple of weeks - another reason why i have been to busy to do this blog. i reached over my target of 5000 words but im not confident the content is good enough... i feel i havent gone into enough depth in some areas- and possibly babbled on too much in others. I handed it in as a draft so will get feedback after Christmas - hopefully there will be some decent parts to build upon in the couple of weeks of january before the final deadline.
Another thing, the first phase of the Firing Up project has sadly come to an end. the next phase is in the new year when the atrtists - and us student helpers - get to go into the schools to teach the kids. I'm really excited about this as i love working with "young adults" (seeing as they are secondary school kids - same age as my little sister and brother) and it will be excelent practice for in the future when im running my own workshops.
Thursday 3 November 2011
Firing Up
Firing up is a national project by the Crafts Council trying to get ceramics back into schools. Most schools have access to ceramic equipment like kilns etc but a lot of teachers don't have any training in ceramics so cant teach it to their pupils. so, the crafts council have set up this project to re-introduce ceramics into mainstream education. This is the second year of the project - last year the project ran in London and, I think, Liverpool and this year it is in Manchester and another city (I forget where). The Manchester sessions are based in Manchester School of art - so that's where It involves me! There was a call for third year students to help out while the artist is running the workshops - just mundane thing like fetching slip and water and washing tools etc but its is good opportunity to see how workshops are ran and there are excellent opportunities further in the project.
The project, how I understand it, runs in two sections. Firstly teachers from the involved schools come to Manchester Metropolitan University to receive workshops in ceramics skills which they can pass onto their pupils (this is what I have been helping with tonight) and in the second section of the project the artists go into the schools and run workshops with the pupils. There is also opportunity to help at this stage too which will be very good practice for if I want to teach or run workshops in the future. There is also an opening event in December at Manchester Art Gallery and, I think, another such event later in the project.
I really think that this whole project is an amazing idea - I wish I had learned more about ceramics at school as, what little we did, I really enjoyed it. Also, ceramics is becoming less popular and it would be such a shame if we cannot revitalize this lost passion as ceramics is such a grounding, natural instinctive process which has obsessed people since the very beginnings of civilization. To lose ceramics as a mainstream form of art or craft would surely be a tragedy?
This is my profile page for the Craft Action Network:
http://www.craft-action.org.uk/profile/AutumnGraceEtherington
This is the group page for the whole of the Firing Up project:
http://www.craft-action.org.uk/group/firingup
And here is the page specifically for the Manchester section of the Firing Up project:
http://www.craft-action.org.uk/group/firing-up-manchester
Monday 24 October 2011
bowls 1-8 (without 4)
Here are my first 8 bowls (without number 4 as that was glazed later) the glazes and oxides i used are listed previously in one of my journal entries - week 4 beginning 10/10/11. My favorite is number 8 as i like the texture where the grog in the clay has moved and scratched when turning the bowl and also from the flat edges that make up the surface (also from turning when quite dry). I like how the glaze is quite thin so it has a light shine but also you can feel the textures in the clay. Plus, i like number 1 with the matt glaze - it is quite thin over the lines created by turning so you can feel that texture while still having the smooth matt feel which i like.
......... so number
1
...2
...3
...5
...6
...7
...8
Thursday 20 October 2011
Catching up
So,i am yet again going to try to get back into doing this as a proper blog - maybe one day i'll give it up as a bad job...
I am currently in my fifth week of my final year at uni. Not knowing where to begin i have posted my weekly journals and i will continue to throughout the year - hopefully this will help me to post at least once a week.
Here are some pictures of my bowls in progress.
I am currently in my fifth week of my final year at uni. Not knowing where to begin i have posted my weekly journals and i will continue to throughout the year - hopefully this will help me to post at least once a week.
Here are some pictures of my bowls in progress.
Weekly journal - fourth week of term
Weekly Journal
Week Beginning 10/10/2011
Monday 10th-
• turned bowls made last Thursday. I didn't turn all of them because I thought it might be nice to leave some as though they had just off the wheel.
• Library; photocopying from books taken out last week and returned books.
Tuesday 11th –
• glaze tests bowls 1 to 8 (all Norton grog)
1 Tin Matt E/W
– staggered 3 dips
– inside and outside
2 Tin Shiny E/W
– staggered 3 dips
– inside and outside
3 Crocus Martis oxide – inside and outside
Clear Shiny E/W
4 (Could not find this bowl)
5 Oxide, no glaze –
Crocus Martis under black nickel
6 Black nickel oxide
– inside and outside
– no glaze
7 Honey E/W
– staggered 3 dips
inside and outside
8 Outside – Crocus martis under black nickel
Inside – black nickel under Crocus martis
Clear Shiny E/W – thin
• Practice five tutorial
This tutorial was more based around HCC than practice five; discussing research and reading techniques as well as the bibliography for the extended essay. However the research for practice five and the HCC unit are closely linked so it was still very helpful information for my practice five as well as the HCC.
Week Beginning 10/10/2011
Monday 10th-
• turned bowls made last Thursday. I didn't turn all of them because I thought it might be nice to leave some as though they had just off the wheel.
• Library; photocopying from books taken out last week and returned books.
Tuesday 11th –
• glaze tests bowls 1 to 8 (all Norton grog)
1 Tin Matt E/W
– staggered 3 dips
– inside and outside
2 Tin Shiny E/W
– staggered 3 dips
– inside and outside
3 Crocus Martis oxide – inside and outside
Clear Shiny E/W
4 (Could not find this bowl)
5 Oxide, no glaze –
Crocus Martis under black nickel
6 Black nickel oxide
– inside and outside
– no glaze
7 Honey E/W
– staggered 3 dips
inside and outside
8 Outside – Crocus martis under black nickel
Inside – black nickel under Crocus martis
Clear Shiny E/W – thin
• Practice five tutorial
This tutorial was more based around HCC than practice five; discussing research and reading techniques as well as the bibliography for the extended essay. However the research for practice five and the HCC unit are closely linked so it was still very helpful information for my practice five as well as the HCC.
Weekly journal - third week of term
Weekly Journal
Week Beginning 03/10/2011
Monday 3rd-
– bought clay; Norton grog, ivory stoneware, Almington (one bag of each)
– throwing; for vessels in Norton grog using texturing technique discussed last week
– I am quite pleased with the results for the first attempt. They look quite well-off and scruffy but I'm pleased with them because I've never attempted to throw using pure with the inside of the bowl and it made it particularly difficult with the outside being textured so not even thickness. I applied a random texture of minds and varying depth and width because for this test I was only practising the process rather than perfecting the decoration however I plan to do visual studies of natural form and texture to inform future surfaces.
Tuesday 4th-
– Turning yesterday's bowls. More difficult than usual due to their very wonky and uneven forms. When turning these balls those thinking of Shozo Michikawa and how with some of his textured pottery he makes the point of finishing the rim neatly so as to contrast with the texture of the surface of the body of the bowl.
– I have also done a few small visual studies of natural textures in my sketchbook to inform the texture I will apply to my balls next time I throw.
– Practice five tutorial; we ran out of time so I do not discuss my work so far in-depth although I informed Sharon of my signup tutorial with Mike Eden last week and that I feel I am on a good path towards reaching my goals and have a confidence starting point, for my practical work.
Wednesday 5th-
• HCC tutorial
- the plan to focus on bowls within the HCC essay
- look for the book "500 bowls" in the library
- the practical work I could finish throwing bowls by pinching, use pinching to texture the bowls
-Bowls;
– spiritualism; member is pottery American Southwest
– ceremony
– Mary Rogers
–Ryoji Koie – textured bowls
– design sourcebook – ceramics – Edmund De Waal
– David Pye – wooden turned and carved bowls
– Lawson Oyekan
Yet again I feel quite enthusiastic after this tutorial then I feel it has given me a clear direction for my HCC essay.
Thursday 4th-
• throwing using texturing techniques but little more purposeful textures – inspired by visual studies. Six bowls in total.
Week Beginning 03/10/2011
Monday 3rd-
– bought clay; Norton grog, ivory stoneware, Almington (one bag of each)
– throwing; for vessels in Norton grog using texturing technique discussed last week
– I am quite pleased with the results for the first attempt. They look quite well-off and scruffy but I'm pleased with them because I've never attempted to throw using pure with the inside of the bowl and it made it particularly difficult with the outside being textured so not even thickness. I applied a random texture of minds and varying depth and width because for this test I was only practising the process rather than perfecting the decoration however I plan to do visual studies of natural form and texture to inform future surfaces.
Tuesday 4th-
– Turning yesterday's bowls. More difficult than usual due to their very wonky and uneven forms. When turning these balls those thinking of Shozo Michikawa and how with some of his textured pottery he makes the point of finishing the rim neatly so as to contrast with the texture of the surface of the body of the bowl.
– I have also done a few small visual studies of natural textures in my sketchbook to inform the texture I will apply to my balls next time I throw.
– Practice five tutorial; we ran out of time so I do not discuss my work so far in-depth although I informed Sharon of my signup tutorial with Mike Eden last week and that I feel I am on a good path towards reaching my goals and have a confidence starting point, for my practical work.
Wednesday 5th-
• HCC tutorial
- the plan to focus on bowls within the HCC essay
- look for the book "500 bowls" in the library
- the practical work I could finish throwing bowls by pinching, use pinching to texture the bowls
-Bowls;
– spiritualism; member is pottery American Southwest
– ceremony
– Mary Rogers
–Ryoji Koie – textured bowls
– design sourcebook – ceramics – Edmund De Waal
– David Pye – wooden turned and carved bowls
– Lawson Oyekan
Yet again I feel quite enthusiastic after this tutorial then I feel it has given me a clear direction for my HCC essay.
Thursday 4th-
• throwing using texturing techniques but little more purposeful textures – inspired by visual studies. Six bowls in total.
Weekly journal - second week of term
Weekly Journal
Week Beginning 26/09/2011
Monday 26th-
• Library – Photocopying from “Ceramics of the world: An Illustrated History”
- Looking at variety of pottery from around the world and over a number of centuries, split into categories ;
-Form – forms I find most aesthetically pleasing and have a closer link to my own work
-Decoration – Simple decoration, muted, earthy colours, functional ware.
-Highly decorated Pottery – Elaborately decorated pottery such as porcelain tea services.
-Introduction of book – Text to inform Essay and some possible quotes
Some of the images I copied will not become useful to inspire my practice 5, for example the highly decorated pottery for this is not interesting to me in a practical sense but it is interesting to look at as it is part of the wide history of ceramics. Also I found the introduction of the book interesting and feel there are quotes within it which I can use with my HCC extended essay such as "ceramics are as old as civilisation itself" and, talking about the close link between people and ceramics, giving a quotation from the book of Genesis that God "formed man out of the dust of the ground". This could be an interesting point to make with in my essay as I feel that pottery does hold a close link to my own human nature.
Tuesday 27th-
• Tutorial
-Talking about practice 5 learning outcomes and personal direction
after handing in my PDP we discussed what we had been doing practically and with research in the last week. I discussed my interest in throwing and hand building with more emphasis on throwing. I would like to look at natural form within ceramics and I will be using the bowl form as a ’vehicle’ for my ideas. The practice and extend my skills in throwing the next week and experiment and research with different ways to texture bowls without merely scratching patterns and to the surface painting slip. I felt very quite enthusiastic after this tutorial although I am still unsure of any particular practitioners to research.
Wednesday 28th –
• HCC introductory lecture
- reflect on reading around research subject and investigation within practice five
- stronger connections between practice, research, work, context
- develop understanding of professional, social, cultural and historical context
- to understand what you're doing and why
• Achieved after lecture
- throwing six bowls different size and shape and turn bowls made yesterday and put to bisque
- library; taken out 4 books –
-Dear Mr Leach: some thoughts on ceramics
– David Leach: a biography
–Claudi Casanovas
– Five centuries of Korean ceramics: pottery and porcelain of the Yi dynasty
Thursday 29th
• turn bowls made yesterday and put to bisque
• purchase Clay – Norton grog
• sign up to one– to – one tutorial
- tutorial with Mike Eden
- looking at ancient pottery and manipulation of traditions and pottery
- looking at surface; tactile, texture, rustic
- layers?
- To look at –
- Shozo Michikawa
- Craft Potters Association – directory?
- Ruthanne Tudball
- part throw – texture – finish from inside
Overall I found this week very interesting and feels like tutorial with my has given me a lot of good ideas and links to think about such as techniques and processes which I did not previously realise were possible. I feel really inspired and enthusiastic at the end of this week and am excited to practice, on Monday, the techniques, described to me by Mike Eden, and experiment using my own style with these new techniques.
Week Beginning 26/09/2011
Monday 26th-
• Library – Photocopying from “Ceramics of the world: An Illustrated History”
- Looking at variety of pottery from around the world and over a number of centuries, split into categories ;
-Form – forms I find most aesthetically pleasing and have a closer link to my own work
-Decoration – Simple decoration, muted, earthy colours, functional ware.
-Highly decorated Pottery – Elaborately decorated pottery such as porcelain tea services.
-Introduction of book – Text to inform Essay and some possible quotes
Some of the images I copied will not become useful to inspire my practice 5, for example the highly decorated pottery for this is not interesting to me in a practical sense but it is interesting to look at as it is part of the wide history of ceramics. Also I found the introduction of the book interesting and feel there are quotes within it which I can use with my HCC extended essay such as "ceramics are as old as civilisation itself" and, talking about the close link between people and ceramics, giving a quotation from the book of Genesis that God "formed man out of the dust of the ground". This could be an interesting point to make with in my essay as I feel that pottery does hold a close link to my own human nature.
Tuesday 27th-
• Tutorial
-Talking about practice 5 learning outcomes and personal direction
after handing in my PDP we discussed what we had been doing practically and with research in the last week. I discussed my interest in throwing and hand building with more emphasis on throwing. I would like to look at natural form within ceramics and I will be using the bowl form as a ’vehicle’ for my ideas. The practice and extend my skills in throwing the next week and experiment and research with different ways to texture bowls without merely scratching patterns and to the surface painting slip. I felt very quite enthusiastic after this tutorial although I am still unsure of any particular practitioners to research.
Wednesday 28th –
• HCC introductory lecture
- reflect on reading around research subject and investigation within practice five
- stronger connections between practice, research, work, context
- develop understanding of professional, social, cultural and historical context
- to understand what you're doing and why
• Achieved after lecture
- throwing six bowls different size and shape and turn bowls made yesterday and put to bisque
- library; taken out 4 books –
-Dear Mr Leach: some thoughts on ceramics
– David Leach: a biography
–Claudi Casanovas
– Five centuries of Korean ceramics: pottery and porcelain of the Yi dynasty
Thursday 29th
• turn bowls made yesterday and put to bisque
• purchase Clay – Norton grog
• sign up to one– to – one tutorial
- tutorial with Mike Eden
- looking at ancient pottery and manipulation of traditions and pottery
- looking at surface; tactile, texture, rustic
- layers?
- To look at –
- Shozo Michikawa
- Craft Potters Association – directory?
- Ruthanne Tudball
- part throw – texture – finish from inside
Overall I found this week very interesting and feels like tutorial with my has given me a lot of good ideas and links to think about such as techniques and processes which I did not previously realise were possible. I feel really inspired and enthusiastic at the end of this week and am excited to practice, on Monday, the techniques, described to me by Mike Eden, and experiment using my own style with these new techniques.
Weekly journal - first week of term
Weekly Journal
Week Beginning 19/09/2011
Monday 19th-
• Library – initial research and familiarization after the change-around over summer
-Photocopying out of Magazines
-Took out “Ceramics of the World – An Illustrated History”
I made photocopies from a few magazines of articles regarding surface pattern, functionality and repetition and installation with pottery pieces.
• Welcome back lecture – overview of year
-PCC
-HCC
-Practice 5
I found this introductory lecture helpful and insightful although most of the information I had already found on the new intranet site that morning.
Tuesday 18th-
• Tutorial
-Talking about planning future career path
I found this tutorial deflating. The night before I had prepared by making a mind map of my aspirations ready to discuss this in the tutorial, however when I tried explaining my plans – starting with my interest in teaching I felt patronized and this evaporated my confidence to explain myself fully and expand to my other, more preferred plans, of being an independent crafts person.
-Discussing plans for Practice 5
I felt that I was miss-understood when I tried to explain my ideas. I have two possible lines of investigation. Firstly, I would like to expand on my pottery experience looking at pottery from around the world – particularly older, less refined pottery and its implications on everyday life and long standing traditions, such as tea drinking. I like to make rustic, tactile pottery with an organic aesthetic; rather than a perfectly even, smooth finish. My second idea is to explore textures – looking at the juxtaposition of man-made textures and natural, organic textures.
Although I tried to make it clear that these are two separate lines of investigation and I was going to take inspiration from a research trip to London and decide next week, my tutor miss-understood my intentions and was concerned that applying texture to pottery is very difficult unless with tools. This actually inspired me to experiment lightly to see how difficult it would be to apply texture from an object to a thrown or coil built pot and I experimented at home making basic bowls and pressing in bark to leave an imprint. I enjoyed this and it is something to consider while working on my Practice 5 project.
Friday 23rd-
• Research trip to London
-V&A –Power of Making exhibition
-Corrine Day - fashion photographer
-Origin – Craft Fair
I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to London. I really liked to see the range of processes displayed and the variety of materials in the “Power of Making” exhibition at the V&A and I found some interesting quotes in the descriptions and the book linked with the exhibition which I bought – the book contains a number of essays on making which I have not yet read fully – only skim-read.
I found Origin fascinating. I loved the variety of craft and found a number of ceramicists who inspire me – whether it is because of their use of texture, form, functionality, decoration etc.
Week Beginning 19/09/2011
Monday 19th-
• Library – initial research and familiarization after the change-around over summer
-Photocopying out of Magazines
-Took out “Ceramics of the World – An Illustrated History”
I made photocopies from a few magazines of articles regarding surface pattern, functionality and repetition and installation with pottery pieces.
• Welcome back lecture – overview of year
-PCC
-HCC
-Practice 5
I found this introductory lecture helpful and insightful although most of the information I had already found on the new intranet site that morning.
Tuesday 18th-
• Tutorial
-Talking about planning future career path
I found this tutorial deflating. The night before I had prepared by making a mind map of my aspirations ready to discuss this in the tutorial, however when I tried explaining my plans – starting with my interest in teaching I felt patronized and this evaporated my confidence to explain myself fully and expand to my other, more preferred plans, of being an independent crafts person.
-Discussing plans for Practice 5
I felt that I was miss-understood when I tried to explain my ideas. I have two possible lines of investigation. Firstly, I would like to expand on my pottery experience looking at pottery from around the world – particularly older, less refined pottery and its implications on everyday life and long standing traditions, such as tea drinking. I like to make rustic, tactile pottery with an organic aesthetic; rather than a perfectly even, smooth finish. My second idea is to explore textures – looking at the juxtaposition of man-made textures and natural, organic textures.
Although I tried to make it clear that these are two separate lines of investigation and I was going to take inspiration from a research trip to London and decide next week, my tutor miss-understood my intentions and was concerned that applying texture to pottery is very difficult unless with tools. This actually inspired me to experiment lightly to see how difficult it would be to apply texture from an object to a thrown or coil built pot and I experimented at home making basic bowls and pressing in bark to leave an imprint. I enjoyed this and it is something to consider while working on my Practice 5 project.
Friday 23rd-
• Research trip to London
-V&A –Power of Making exhibition
-Corrine Day - fashion photographer
-Origin – Craft Fair
I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to London. I really liked to see the range of processes displayed and the variety of materials in the “Power of Making” exhibition at the V&A and I found some interesting quotes in the descriptions and the book linked with the exhibition which I bought – the book contains a number of essays on making which I have not yet read fully – only skim-read.
I found Origin fascinating. I loved the variety of craft and found a number of ceramicists who inspire me – whether it is because of their use of texture, form, functionality, decoration etc.
Wednesday 3 August 2011
Planning Ahead...
My second year drew to a close in June, leaving me with a miserable second. Not as good as i hoped. So,to pick up from such a low grade will take loads of hard work and planning...
I know i have to plan for my dissertation - a 6000word extended essay-but unlike other courses we have received no help or prior warning.all other courses have had lectures on planning for this before summer break! so this makes it difficult to know what to plan for.
I also need to plan for my final project.we have a project which stretches through from September to June - usually a project is no more than 6weeks! so to plan a 9month project is proving tricky.
I have had a few ideas. I have always been interested in texture. I love to feel things, you cant truly know how something feels just by looking, touch is such an important sense.
Plus, i find the constant battle between mankind and nature fascinating. How men cut back nature to build and develop but, given time,nature weakens mans efforts and strives to claim back what was taken. Metal Rusts, buildings crumple. Nature eventually re-claims her land.
Thinking of these two things, nature versus man and texture, my project idea seemed natural. My initial idea is to experiment looking at textures of man-made and natural surfaces such as stone, bark, concrete. I will do pressings,rubbings and primary sketches to develop my ideas and experiment with mark making to replicate textures as well as experimenting with color to emphasize texture,depth and highlight.
I will have to use these textures on craft pieces but i can experiment with form throughout the project.
I know i have to plan for my dissertation - a 6000word extended essay-but unlike other courses we have received no help or prior warning.all other courses have had lectures on planning for this before summer break! so this makes it difficult to know what to plan for.
I also need to plan for my final project.we have a project which stretches through from September to June - usually a project is no more than 6weeks! so to plan a 9month project is proving tricky.
I have had a few ideas. I have always been interested in texture. I love to feel things, you cant truly know how something feels just by looking, touch is such an important sense.
Plus, i find the constant battle between mankind and nature fascinating. How men cut back nature to build and develop but, given time,nature weakens mans efforts and strives to claim back what was taken. Metal Rusts, buildings crumple. Nature eventually re-claims her land.
Thinking of these two things, nature versus man and texture, my project idea seemed natural. My initial idea is to experiment looking at textures of man-made and natural surfaces such as stone, bark, concrete. I will do pressings,rubbings and primary sketches to develop my ideas and experiment with mark making to replicate textures as well as experimenting with color to emphasize texture,depth and highlight.
I will have to use these textures on craft pieces but i can experiment with form throughout the project.
Friday 25 March 2011
A very interesting woman ......
So my last project is just come to an end. It was a project about Mary Greg. Mary Greg was a collector of every-day objects in the late 1800's to the early 1900's. The main of her collection is owned by Manchester Art Gallery and is displayed there and she also has a selection at Platt Hall in Manchester. She collected examples of almost everything you could imagine - from spoons to portraits, dolls houses to keys. such a wide selection - it seems like she wasn't too fussy at all! she contributed parts of her collection to museums and collections around the world like our very own V&A to somewhere in New Zealand (i think i was told she had family or friends there).
A very interesting woman.
the project is an ongoing live research project ran with the manchester art gallery - our course is involved as my tutor is one of the researchers on the project and she involved us in it making it one of our official projects. the website for the project is - http://www.marymaryquitecontrary.org.uk/
I began by looking at a pair of miniature portraits within her collection. I fell in love with these almost immediately. i have researched and researched all types of miniature portrait and cannot find any other examples which look the same as these. they have a black frame, are oval in shape and are concave - from the front, yet on the back they are different. the frame is backed with blue leather and the portraits (yes there are portraits on both sides) are domed and not the same figures as on the front. I decided which was back and from on the basis that the hanging ring was fastened on the side of the blue leather and also the portraits on this side were much more roughly done and scratched.
from the research i have done, i have come to believe that the portraits are enamel - probably on a metal such as copper or brass as this seems to be the most common base. the figures are male and female (same sex on either side of the pieces -e.g. female on both sides and on the other male on both sides) and they are facing different directions the male is looking left and the female is facing right. This made me wonder how they would have been displayed? would they be facing toward each other as though they were in love? or would they be facing away from one another? i couldn't help but imagine that the owner would change them depending on their relationship (this is imagining that they were portraits of the owners - which looks unlikely) for example if they were happy together they would face each other and if they argued they would be changed to face apart to show that they had nothing to say to each other??
just a silly imagination.
though, as i said, i doubt that they were portraits of the owners. the figures look roman - i guess this by the leafy band around the male's head and the hairstyle of the lady. this was a major difficulty in researching the pieces as miniature portraits are usually of loved ones - e.g. a gentleman would carry a miniature of his loved one at home or vice versa or they were carried across the country and used to introduce people over great distances - like when people were trying to find a suitor for their son/daughter. very similar to how people carry photos of their loved ones in their purse or wallet.
Although i found out that miniature portraits actually began as ways to illuminate manuscript - so maybe that was what the ones i was studying were used for? perhaps they were used to illustrate characters in a fable told by storytellers by a big roaring fire - that could explain the figures on both sides - especially as the figures are different on each side - the male on the front has a band of leaves around his head and the man on the back looks like a roman soldier - with a helmet etc.
so, i began looking at other miniature styles such as cameo's and some more contemporary examples of miniature portraits, one thing led to another and i began looking into self-portraits. the idea of illustrating myself in the way these story characters were being displayed. one problem, it takes decades to become that good at enamel and carving cameo's and seeing as i don't have decades within a 6 week project, i began exploring other ways to portray myself through portrait. i began doing simple line drawings of myself - mainly facial only. i experimented with these - carving into plaster and hand-made soapstone and printing with these blocks. i did a lot of tests and playing around.
i wish i had been more organized so that i would have had time to experiment more fully with image transfer onto glazed ceramic - i did one test piece but nothing relevant to the project.
but i am happy with my outcomes. they were supposed to have been submitted yesterday but it was postponed due to the lecturer strikes so i haven't had any feed back yet.
i will post a picture of my outcomes. they are all mixed media - incorporating ceramics, metal, fabric, papers, graphite, stitch. they have a bit of everything in them. this is how i love to work - not purely in one media.
Variety is the spice of life!
A very interesting woman.
the project is an ongoing live research project ran with the manchester art gallery - our course is involved as my tutor is one of the researchers on the project and she involved us in it making it one of our official projects. the website for the project is - http://www.marymaryquitecontrary.org.uk/
I began by looking at a pair of miniature portraits within her collection. I fell in love with these almost immediately. i have researched and researched all types of miniature portrait and cannot find any other examples which look the same as these. they have a black frame, are oval in shape and are concave - from the front, yet on the back they are different. the frame is backed with blue leather and the portraits (yes there are portraits on both sides) are domed and not the same figures as on the front. I decided which was back and from on the basis that the hanging ring was fastened on the side of the blue leather and also the portraits on this side were much more roughly done and scratched.
from the research i have done, i have come to believe that the portraits are enamel - probably on a metal such as copper or brass as this seems to be the most common base. the figures are male and female (same sex on either side of the pieces -e.g. female on both sides and on the other male on both sides) and they are facing different directions the male is looking left and the female is facing right. This made me wonder how they would have been displayed? would they be facing toward each other as though they were in love? or would they be facing away from one another? i couldn't help but imagine that the owner would change them depending on their relationship (this is imagining that they were portraits of the owners - which looks unlikely) for example if they were happy together they would face each other and if they argued they would be changed to face apart to show that they had nothing to say to each other??
just a silly imagination.
though, as i said, i doubt that they were portraits of the owners. the figures look roman - i guess this by the leafy band around the male's head and the hairstyle of the lady. this was a major difficulty in researching the pieces as miniature portraits are usually of loved ones - e.g. a gentleman would carry a miniature of his loved one at home or vice versa or they were carried across the country and used to introduce people over great distances - like when people were trying to find a suitor for their son/daughter. very similar to how people carry photos of their loved ones in their purse or wallet.
Although i found out that miniature portraits actually began as ways to illuminate manuscript - so maybe that was what the ones i was studying were used for? perhaps they were used to illustrate characters in a fable told by storytellers by a big roaring fire - that could explain the figures on both sides - especially as the figures are different on each side - the male on the front has a band of leaves around his head and the man on the back looks like a roman soldier - with a helmet etc.
so, i began looking at other miniature styles such as cameo's and some more contemporary examples of miniature portraits, one thing led to another and i began looking into self-portraits. the idea of illustrating myself in the way these story characters were being displayed. one problem, it takes decades to become that good at enamel and carving cameo's and seeing as i don't have decades within a 6 week project, i began exploring other ways to portray myself through portrait. i began doing simple line drawings of myself - mainly facial only. i experimented with these - carving into plaster and hand-made soapstone and printing with these blocks. i did a lot of tests and playing around.
i wish i had been more organized so that i would have had time to experiment more fully with image transfer onto glazed ceramic - i did one test piece but nothing relevant to the project.
but i am happy with my outcomes. they were supposed to have been submitted yesterday but it was postponed due to the lecturer strikes so i haven't had any feed back yet.
i will post a picture of my outcomes. they are all mixed media - incorporating ceramics, metal, fabric, papers, graphite, stitch. they have a bit of everything in them. this is how i love to work - not purely in one media.
Variety is the spice of life!
Monday 24 January 2011
Still failing to keep it current!!!
Oh dear - i am far too unorganized - even putting an App on my ipod doesn't remind me to keep posting!
So, to update - just over a week ago i handed in the project i started in october - after the onions i posted about last. I made a range of samples and one final necklace - i am yet to receive my feedback but i should have it on wednesday and i shall post it no matter how bad it is! maybe that way it will encourage me more to get the highest grades possible - if i am making them completely public.
Like my final project last year, i wanted to produce something that is wearable yet impractical to actually wear. i made a necklace from ceramic pieces which were spiky and sharp to the skin.
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