Wednesday 12 June 2013

A contemporary angle: Part 2

Before I leave the experiments I did in the previous post with the chain fastener I'd like to add one more variation as, in hindsight,  I think it leads onto my new experiments.


I put a Grunge filter on this closeup and had a little play, with this result.


I particularly liked the frame and  studs around the edge, which as you'll see connect surprisingly well with my following research.

We went to Dungeness (this link will take you too a superb video), for a few days where I knew I'd find further inspiration. It took some time walking around and absorbing the surroundings till I found what I was looking for.


This lump of machinery seemed to resonate with my idea of strength versus fragility, in some way, so I began with a loose pencil sketch.


As the sketch progressed I noticed the houses and the lighthouse in the background and started to develop a feeling for the surroundings.

It started me wondering how old this winch might be and how long it had been sitting used and unused on the beach. There were no clues on this one, but I found another one with this intriguing name plate still intact..


After some investigating on the web it turns out that the Ramsey winch MFG CO have been in operation in Tulsa Oklahoma for 69 years. This doesn't mean that this winch is that old, as apparently this kind of deterioration can take place over 20 years in the rough salty climate of Dungeness.
I discovered this date marking on another winch platform.


And this is the winch that sits on it....


Maybe it wasn't new when it was mounted on here.

Anyway the next day I went out to see what more rusted hulks would inspire me and came back with this.


......with just a touch of fragility, with the spider's web in the corner.


And of course this had to have the Grunge treatment.

Once home I was able to work in my A2 sketchbook .....


.....working from just a selection of the photo. I like the feeling of speed in this sketch, it makes me think of the 'time line of life' and how fast it moves, and how fragile it can be, and yet sometimes remarkably strong.


Having looked at the shadows and shapes that were emerging as a result of the different tones involved, I then wanted to take this further and distill some of them into an abstract pattern.

This is turning out to be an interesting and compelling exercise, I shall let it run for a while and see how it develops.

2 comments:

  1. It is indeed interesting and compelling! I love your sketches, and particularly the close-up / abstract impressions in this and the previous post. The lovely, natural colours are very attractive too. I also enjoy this combination of reality and then playing about in Photoshop, changing the colours and the effects. You're creating your very own MA programme! :)

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  2. I would love to see your beautiful sketchbook in person, I see your drawings are getting better and better and have a life of their own

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