postcard

College summer project - find an old postcard and respond to it using what we have learned in yr1 and thinking about our choices for yr2.

Black Rock, Brighton. Before 1934.

Initial brainstorming of ideas for this project seems to have given me enough material for a couple of years. I now have to start editing and focusing. 

While my kiln is out of action and my other projects are on hold I have been experimenting with camera-less photography. Below are a few cyanotypes which are playing with an idea I had from the postcard - trying to find continuity amongst all the change that this scene has experienced; The seaweeds at the base of the cliff and the vegetation on its top.

  

shadows

The V&A held an exhibition last year called Shadow-catchers - camera-less photography. I never made it but the pin-hole camera induction at college reminded me to get hold of a copy of the accompanying book. I am still waiting for it to arrive but in the meantime have been trying to capture shadows at home with a conventional digital camera.

I recently moved house to the opposite side of a valley which means that I am now east facing rather than west. This has thrown my perceptions a bit and encouraged me to notice the differences in light between old and new homes. I have lost the amazing evening light and long shadows from facing west and am looking for new ways of appreciating facing east (which dont involve getting up at 5am for the sunrise).

Today, strong intermittent sunlight created vibrant shadows of plants in pots which I photographed against a white paper background and then put through Gimp to tidy up and enhance.

two views of a euphorbia

euphorbia, tree lupin, opium poppy, evening primrose, stonecrop

summer weather

Radio masts disappearing into low cloud. The public face of this array is used to transmit BBC World Service but it is also home to some shadowy top secret defence related infrastructure. 

time out

Getting impatient for the plaster moulds to dry in my damp west country climate I decided to try a few out anyway. Unsurprisingly the clay slip stuck like glue to the plaster and refused to dry. I resorted to desperate measures and built a little paper fire inside one. That worked... The rest I put in the airing cupboard and took the afternoon off...

The sea is too rough to swim in at the moment due to incessant south westerlies, went river swimming with a friend instead. 

black light

Visiting both the Brighton University and City College Brighton end of year shows was hugely inspiring. Among the numerous ideas I came away with was a re-kindled interest in black-background photography. 

There were two excellent examples at CCB - one of fruit plunging into water and another of paper litter/telephone directories. I am afraid I didn't note down the names of the photographers but am grateful that their work inspired me to do some research and start experimenting myself... In previous attempts I had taken pretty averagely lit photos and then relied on photoshop to black out the background. This can work but is very hit and miss and time consuming (the grass photo from a few weeks ago was done like this).

Above photo of hogweed growing against a dark hedge (hogweed is usually white but this one caught my eye as the petals are all stained pink, an occasional natural variation). It was a bright day but the shadow of the hedge, using correct camera settings (s 1/100, f. 8, iso 80) and the use of the flash allowed me to take the detail of the flower while the background remained almost black. Only a little adjustment on photoshop was needed to remove just a small hint of a stem. 

I like the way the flower head seems to be bursting out of nowhere and how much detail is visible - the stamens really stand out. The flower head is not quite in focus - I was swaying a bit while taking it! Investing in a decent mini-tripod would be a good idea. I could get hooked on this kind of photography...

summer break

Term finished, time for a short break and a chance to start working with clay again over the coming months.

sunshine

watching the fulmers swoop and glide over the cliffs and getting no work done... 

new place

 

waking view, last dawn

Moving was predictably manic but the house we hoped to move to came through, less than 24 hours before we moved out of our old one - talk about cutting it fine.

new steps, first dusk

I am taking over an old garden office building and slowly unpacking my studio in its new location. Its a great space with amazing views which will either inspire me or make me waste my time by staring out into the distance;

more rust

The sea-salt bath I made to speed up wire rusting from an earlier project got left on a windowsill and forgotten... until i came across it again this evening.

The water has evaporated, the salt re-crystalized and the rust has left a beautiful stain in the bottom of the dish. Not sure I can use it directly for anything now but glad to have captured a photo.