21 September 2022

We were joined by the year two students as we are all working on Shape, Form, and will be working on a collaborative project as part of this tope. Our lecturers had an assortment of interesting objects, shells, pieces of wood, feathers, bone etc. Our first task using the Nikon D90 cameras, was to take interesting shapes, and group items together, or single them out and thing about why we found them interesting. We needed to thing about the formal elements of art and the principles of design and consider how we could use these images. It was a good way to consider lighting, how we can change it, how we use the negative spaces, take photos from different angles by not only moving objects, but moving around them ourselves.

I found that I was very interested in textures and the more natural patterns, I was also attracted to curves rather than purely linear patterns. Which I find quite interesting, as most of the time I draw freehand I will start with a slightly wavy line or a circular motion rather than straight and angular. I was also drawn to the more natural materials on the table, rather than the manmade structures, or metal. Maybe that’s where I find my inspiration? I love being outdoors and like the more earthy colours. Yet sometimes, like the strands of wool fibre hanging in front of the spot light, I love the clash and harshness of the lights behind the softness of the wool. I also like the tones acheived by the harsh shadows. The delicacy of the feather and the dried leaves, and the contrast of the bright green with the autumn browns, it made me think of a woodpecker that visits my garden. The well worn ballet shoes, I could almost hear the music and the “one, two, three” count of the teacher as the dancer practiced the movements over and over. That’s what these images evoke in me, and remind me about, as I was taking the photographs and considering the best way to reflect them, I was imagining the stories behind how they got to be there.

The final individual outcome is to be monochrome, but we took the original images in colour. The whole idea of this exercise is to get us back into the habit of recording everything and developing good practice.