Seasons for Growth - research

Interesting to note that this grief education programme 'Seasons for Growth' is based on the following:

"Grief is a bewildering experience and can take many forms. The seasons in nature represent change, with good days and bad days. They occur in a cycle which we cannot alter or prevent from happening. Accessible and easily understood, the metaphor of the natural seasons – autumn, winter, spring and summer – provide participants in our programmes with a language which helps them to understand and learn from their grief experience."

A good friend of mine who's an art therapist, suggested that I contact them with my research and storyboard ideas for my final film; the theme of which is closely linked to their ethos...
maybe with a possible view to discussions about ongoing research by way of a PhD.

Laura Donkers - Reflective Practice

As part of the International Summer Experience tuition, I attended a great presentation by Laura Donkers

Fresh from her return journey, literally two days, it was inspirational to watch Laura engage in a reflective dialogue, not only with herself, but us as the audience.

I was particularly struck by the title of her work 'YOU ARE NOT OUTSIDE'....an reminder of my belief that our creativity is found deep within.

I loved the detail with which Laura described her creative practice; in this instance of placing paper on the landscape and using a technique called 'Frottage' to create intricate and beautiful drawings. Using a variety of resilient tough papers; delicate translucent Japanese paper; giant size scrolls, and combinations of graphite, charcoal, I was struck by how much intricate detail appeared and how many of the drawings looked as if they were topographical images taken from space.
The culmination of these works resulted in the creation of a paper dress. Using a familiar 'object' as a vehicle to view the drawings, I loved how the dress was photographed against a stylised wallpaper image of foliage....in complete contrast to the random beauty found in the natural patterns that the frottage created.

Rough storyboards for THAW

Storyboard sketches for THAW- using a giant pad and fat graphite sticks, to help keep the drawings very loose.

At this stage I am focusing on the content of the actual story and inserting the images into Premiere to achieve a rough cut animatic..

Act 1: Setting the environment, the characters and the 'event'

Act 2: The obstacles and the change

Act 3: Resolution

Do something good and throw it on the seashore!

I heard this recently at a conference....."Do something good and throw it on the seashore" (apparently it comes from a Greek proverb)

To do something for fun and for free - purely with the intention of doing something good for someone else (without being found out), reminds me of the quote above.... and it's amazing, that when doing this, without expectation, what the tide brings in!

Francis Alys 'Sometimes making something leads to nothing' - Reflective Practice

Interesting to see work by other artists, involving the medium of ice...
As part of a PhD presentation this week, I discovered this work of art by Francis Alys
'Sometimes making something leads to nothing' - the title in itself is intriguing, particularly when looking at storylines for animation, that allow the viewer to meditate on their own thoughts about transformation and loss.

I love that when the ice finally dissolves, as part of this moving installation, it's pooled water legacy is enjoyed by some fascinated and cheerful street kids.....

Who knew that could possibly be it's final destination or outcome....

Paradox of Praxis 1 (1997) is the record of an action carried out under the rubric of “sometimes making something leads to nothing.” For more than nine hours, Alÿs pushed a block of ice through the streets of Mexico City until it completely melted. And so for hour after hour he struggled with the quintessentially Minimal rectangular block until finally it was reduced to no more than an ice cube suitable for a whisky on the rocks, so small that he could casually kick it along the street.
http://francisalys.com/sometimes-making-something-leads-to-nothing/

Leon Morrocco - Sketch books - Inspiration and reflective practice

For part of this week I have been teaching the International Summer Short Course students and we've been looking at storyboarding, inspirational images and techniques, both with pencil drawings and today creating images using a graphics tablet.

Jan Johnson (Fullbright Scholar 2015-2016) at DJCAD came to the studio today with a copy of the sketch books of Leon Morrocco...I actually thought I was leafing through a real sketch book and kept checking my hands for pastel dust! Leon Morrocco's sketches were absolutely stunning; the pencil line in places was heavy and without any line weight variation, which only added to the confidence of his sketches and the colours were vivid and Mediterranean in feel, sometimes applied loosely with Guache and sometimes obviously matted with sticky oil pastel....the detail in some of the architecture, objects and people was intricate and brilliantly proportioned.... and I was mesmerized....so much so, that I bought a copy of his 2003 sketchbooks on Ebay at the first opportunity and  later headed for the art shop to buy a square chunky sketch book, a 4B pencil and some oil pastels....

And to top it off, I researched Leon Morrocco and this is his abridged biography:

Leon Morrocco was born in Edinburgh, the son of an artist with Italian roots. He studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, The Slade, and Edinburgh College of Art. In 1968 he won an Italian government scholarship to study at the Accademia di Brera in Milan. He was lecturer in drawing and Painting at Edinburgh College of Art from 1965-1968, and then took up a similar post at Glasgow School of Art from 1969 and 1979. 

In 1979 he moved to Australia as Head of the Department of Fine Art at the Chisholm Institute in Melbourne. He resigned in 1984 to devote all of his time to painting. 


INSPIRED!

The Glasgow Boys - Reflective Practice

The Glasgow Boys exhibition at the Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow...

"The Glasgow Boys consisted of an informal association of some twenty artists; its main figures were William York Macgregor, Joseph Crawhall, George Henry, Edward Atkinson Hornel, Sir John Lavery and Arthur Melville"

Great examples of diffused and non direct lighting - and themes of community and life.
I was particularly by the light in the sky on the horizon...it brings an air of hope and continuing life to this sombre scene..
In fact, on reflection, I think it's the lighting in all of the following paintings that caught my interest...as despite whatever the mood of the scene, the lighting is joyful.

A Funeral Scene in the Highlands - James Guthrie

A Sunny Meadow - E A Walton

By the Findhorn - Alexander Mann

The Last Turning - James Paterson

Helensburgh - Lavery. Love this sunlight. This looks like a scene from the Waltons

Repairing the Bicycle - Barclay Pringle. Love the 'ghost' of the bike and how delicate the wheels are painted