Monday 25 April 2011

Next Piece


Well the last piece received a mixed interest with some liking and some not. This is a good reaction as any response means that people are having to think about what they are viewing.

Each will have a different view of a piece and it is important for me to listen to all and to fold this back into the process.

It is important for me to push my boundaries in both techniques and ideas, philosophies, to explore processes that I have never undertaken or had contact with before. This I see as the only way to progress in my knowledge of techniques and methods. This is guess is the unobtainable "pursuit for perfection" which I know will never be achieved but for me to strive for anything else is a waste of mental and physical energy.

Making what I know is fun if I want to relax or not have to think about too much, thus is a great way for me to clear my mind. But it holds little challenge, this possibly being why I am going off into different variants of work.

Many may not achieve or have the impact that I intend, but for me being too concerned about this can be a destructive process, it gets in the way of how I view my work work. Instead of looking at new ideas with a "beginners mind", it is all too easy for me to allow previous influences to obscure what I may be trying to achieve in a new idea.

The next piece I am working on is pictured above ( is not a new idea but a re-visit). The texture and base colour have been applied but at this stage have mixed ideas about where to take it. The addition of a simple lid, finial and bead may be all that is needed and I may keep it close to a previous format to satisfy my more commercial needs. But time will tell.

Close up below showing the texture and colours.

4 comments:

Lee Robert Sneddon said...

Hi Mark,

Do you think it's possible to dry brush over the top of this texture? Maybe with a lighter colour so you have the dark 'c' shapes underneath with the flats being brushed with the lighter colour!

Have you given any thought to creating a deeper texture and then possibly filling it in with a mixture of CA and copper powder or the like?

I was thinking of going a bit off the edge and including LEDs in my work, you can get a little battery powered set that could be hidden inside your hollow forms with a little on/off switch maybe hidden in a chuck recess, a little piercing of the form would allow the light to flood through or gently glow from the inside!?!?

Just some ideas to nudge you way.

Take care,

Lee.

Mark said...

Hi Lee

Thank you for your comments. Some interesting ideas. I have thought of fibre optics but have never gotten round to exploring it.

With the texture and colour for this piece I was thinking along the lines of the ancient Chinese leather armour/dress that is a rich burgundy/black.

Not sure what I will do with it.

I have tried a dry brush technique already using gold but it looked too "clean" it may be just best left alone as I am looking at a gold and precious stone addition in the finial but again don;t know how it will work. Just fancied doing something the other way from what I have just done. This way it keep the ideas fresh along with trying new materials and techniques.

But I will see.

I like the idea of light and have seen similar on a sculpture it adds a nice play on shadows. May be an idea worth exploring.

Thanks again for the interest and ideas.

elainebl said...

Hi Mark.
Just read your comment about the 'ancient Chinese leather armour/dress that is a rich burgundy/black'.
Have you ever tried turning leather? A leather finial maybe?Saw Sarah Thirlwell turn leather. I will leave that with you. Hope you don't mind my input
Cheers
Elaine

Mark said...

Hi Elaine

Thank you for your interest.

Yes I have turned leather and have thought about incorporating it more in some of my work, I did not get beyond the experimental stage before I got into something else.

I purchased a bag of off cuts quite some time ago but alas together with the glass, silver, stone, acrylic and other materials I seem to hoard, it is still sat in its bag on the shelf. :-( not enough time in the day.

I tend to come up with ideas and then before I have used them I am off on a flight of fancy somewhere else. :-).

I do not mind your input at all, please comment and add what you want whenever, it is the only way we can all share and develop. Wish more people would get involved in the blogosphere.