The Mechanical Art & Design Museum

My sudden fascination in mechanisms took me to the Mechanical Art & Design Museum in Stratford-Upon-Avon last week.

Here are a couple of the designs I found interesting...

http://instagram.com/p/o4UApTrdis/

http://instagram.com/p/ooRm7crduX/

I found the Circus by Neil Hardy (above) particularly exciting, as it was so relevant to my project. 

It gave me the idea of making a mini circus ring for my models to move around in.

Click here to see the X17 model in action! (It moves as fast as the bus itself).

And here is another exhibition teaser...

http://instagram.com/p/oy3hPYrdg4/ 

Exciting times!

Welcome To The Fair

Here are a few videos I've taken whilst on fairground rides.

Merry-go-round: http://instagram.com/p/oQuX92iLYj/

Dodgems: http://instagram.com/p/nBW2SSLdqO/

Vine Merry-go-round: https://vine.co/v/MXTq9EaWqqL

The Insect Circus

I went to the Insect Circus in Weston Park on Friday. 

Such a thing consists of many a human-sized bug using a trapeze and hula hooping.

Here are a few snaps from the evening...

 

I thought it linked in really well with my 'bizarre ways of travelling' theme, with the giant snail and the dung beetle balancing on a gym ball. 

It got even better when I went into the Menagerie afterwards to find buttons you could press that would complete a circuit to make a model of an insect move (see videos below)

http://instagram.com/p/oQtLI-CLXF/

http://instagram.com/p/oQtSApiLXL/

http://instagram.com/p/oQtgObiLXb/

http://instagram.com/p/oQtlf_iLXk/

It made me wonder whether I could make Wendoline move...

So I built an electric car and altered my wire T-Rex to fit.

 http://instagram.com/p/oQuHNoiLYR/

I'm considering using the mechanisms from toys to make my own models move.

Maybe I could make this wind up monkey into the X17 and have it race a dinosaur on a unicycle and a spider on wheels? 

http://instagram.com/p/oQub_FiLYs/

We'll see. 

Wendoline's journey through time

Since I last blogged, my T-Rex mate has been on quite a few adventures.

She has played scrabble.

She has re-enacted Cinderella.

She has played dress-up.

She has consumed an alcoholic beverage.

En ce moment, elle est en vacances.

 

I popped these shades on her along with a grass green cocktail umbrella, which added the finishing touches to a look that I can only describe as 'holiday chic meets pathetic excuse for an undercover detective in a beret'.

She wants to travel the world/visit places like the gnome in Amelie. 

Modern T-Rex

This week I've been looking at Alexander Calder's Circus.

Before I found his video, I had made my dinosaurs into a little scene which you can see above. I gave my dinosaur a sewn unicycle and tightrope, and for the other two - a car with a flat tyre to fit my idea of bizarre ways of travelling that would be really slow, but would still be quicker than my bus. 

 I imagined these racing, so cut into the cardboard behind them and attached wire to make them wobble. I'd prefer them to move a bit more though, so plan to have a look at horse racing games in an arcade and maybe create my own dinosaur race.

After the discovery of Alexander Calder's Circus, I decided to try and make a T-Rex with a bit more movement. I used scrunched up newspaper and masking tape for my first one.

 I've been using dinosaurs as I like the idea of a journey through time, and bringing something prehistoric and placing it somewhere modern where it is completely out of place.

I picture my puppet dinosaur, Bruce, partaking in many a human activity such as tea drinking, having a shower, calling his mates, riding a bike - you name it, Bruce can do it.

Here is a little video of my newspaper T-Rex puppet! http://instagram.com/p/nbRWesrdgz/

I thought Bruce felt a bit lonely, so after a day away from my home that is the 2D room, I'd like to introduce Bruce's (big) little sister, Wendoline. 

No, she isn't quite finished. Her tail needs adjusting and she needs some teeth but she is getting there!

Expect an updated T-Rex.

My bus is a snail

Just in case you couldn't quite imagine the speed of the X17, above is a video of a typical day on the bypass.

Things that would get around faster than the X17:

1) A T-rex trying to ride a unicycle

2) A blindfolded giraffe on stilts
3) A pedalo with no water

Fairground Typography

My day was spent experimenting with different ways of forming circus/fairground letters.

I discovered a technique in which I glue thread onto different surfaces, guiding it to vaguely show the original letter shapes.

I wanted the swirls and everything that makes this kind of typography stand out to occur a bit more naturally, so let the thread manoeuvre it's way around the surface as I blow dried it.

I tried the same technique with wool too but it wasn't nearly as defined or attractive as the thread.

I'm planning on creating an entire alphabet using different materials and media to create letters...

See you in a decade.

Clever dinosaurs, broken printers and sick bags.

Today I've been making some collages relating to my project, 'Journeys', using found images.

To begin with, I looked at dinosaurs, as I'm interested in the idea of journeys through time. 

When I created the above image I was thinking about the possibilities of dinosaurs if they lived now, and tried to make the dinosaur look like a pet taking someone for a ride, or he could even be a teacher. Who knows, they may have been more intelligent than us!

I was thinking about how modern an idea 3D imagery is in comparison to the prehistoric period, so I tried to create what a 3D image looks like before you put your 3D specs on. 

When photocopying the image, my printer gave up the ghost and gave me this fantastic piece that I could obviously never repeat intentionally. It made me think of how dinosaurs faded out, and how species have become extinct, but there are still traces of what they once were.

These images are a different take on my theme, as I was focussing on travel.

Even though these women are having some sort of woman vs spaghetti competition, the image reminded me of someone vomiting, as visually it is a bit disgusting. As one of the objects suggested to me in my survey last week was a sick bag,  I decided that motion sickness could be an interesting journey-related topic to cover.

I used brown paper as the material was similar to that of a sick bag, and layered the image to suggest movement. I like the colour palette as it looks quite retro - especially with the antique omnibus ticket!

   

Due to my fascination in fairgrounds, I thought it could be quite interesting to place the women on a ride. I photocopied them with a red filter to suit the colour palette,which I think looks really effective. 

This piece in particular reminds me of Roy Lichtenstein's work because of the primary colours used, and the pointillism-esque patterns of dots and hexagons.

I like the fact that the women are smiling as it made me think of the thrill and fear that rides make us feel.

The work of J.P. King inspired me for these pieces, as his use of positive and negative shapes and their placement is really intriguing, as the layering suggests time and movement. I also like his use of colour as it is fairly limited and doesn't take attention away from the central image.

Journeys

Yesterday I got other students on my course to complete a mini survey to help me progress with my project.

I asked them to...

1) Use the first and last letters of your name to come up with 2 words that you relate to 'Journeys'.

2) Name one object that reminds you of a journey.

I got some really interesting responses. In particular the word 'ride' - I was considering going to a fairground, because there would be some great observational drawing opportunities there! Also I looked up fairgrounds to find that the University of Sheffield is the home of The National Fairground Archive, which is very very exciting. 

The objects that could be interesting were sweets, sick bag, keys, salt and vinegar crisps and gravel. I want to find all these over the next few days so that I can record them in and outside my sketchbook.

Final Major Project

After much debate I've decided on 'Journeys' for my FMP title. This week I've been brainstorming and drawing people on bus journeys really.

Here's an artist called Lapin who I've been looking at. I want to find a book like this to draw in!
I got some old maps from a charity shop but that seems to obvious to me... I'd prefer to work on something that isn't in english. Maybe French or Spanish.. We'll see.

I love Lapin's sketchbooks and how the artist has documented and recorded every day objects in such an inventive way - a bit like a diary, but with drawings! 

Modernising Tutankhamun

For my 'Time' project, I've tried to put a modern swing on the Ancient Egyptians..

I went from looking at mummies and hieroglyphs to looking at circuit boards.

I thought circuit boards would be a great contrast, as they are so modern in comparison to the Ancient Egyptians. I was interested in the idea that the codes and little details on circuit boards are like a new version of hieroglyphs, as I have no idea what any of the numbers or lines mean, so to me hieroglyphs and circuit board codes are equally complicated.

Here is my King Tut circuit board.

He's on a board that is about 1.25 m x 0.5 m, and painted with emulsion and acrylic.

I tried to simplify the circuit board by just using basic shapes to represent it, and painted the shapes on different scales for each section.

I used wood because I think it suits the theme of ancient egyptians, as it seems a lot more handmade to me, and a lot of the artefacts I've seen were made of wood.

I also really like the look of the bright paint against the dull, speckled surface.

The artist I looked at when I created this piece is Jonny Wan, because I really like how complicated and technical his portraits (if that's what you'd call them) look.The composition of this one in particular reminded me of a mummy as it is so symmetrical and due to the lack of facial expression.

I love his use of shape and colour. His work is very clean, but I wanted mine to look a lot more hand made but still fairly technical.

Sketchy - RETRO GAMES

It's that time again, where all the arty types of Sheffield join together at The Forum to draw pretty pictures.

The theme this month was Retro Games. 

Here is my entry...

I am living a lie.

Being a Graphic Designer!

For two days this week (17/02/14) I've had a work placement with a Graphic Designer at Harris Associates, Leeds.

I'd say I got an idea what if would be like if I had a real person job (gulp), and more insight into the kind of briefs that designers are given.

At college, I'm given tonnes of info on the project, suggestions, ideas and a title. The briefs I was given at Harris Associates were a lot more vague, and I had to really read between the lines to work out what the aim of the brief was, and what the client needed. 

I learned how to use Adobe Illustrator, and had a go at creating a series of potential logos for a new construction company. I also created a letterhead for said company, and some posters to advertise courses at York University. 

Here is a pretty window that was in the building I worked in...

The Ancient Egyptians

My most recent project brief is Time, and amongst all my portfolio organising I've come up with a few bits on the subject of our ancient friend Tutankhamun. 

I've always found the Ancient Egyptians fascinating, and came across a hieroglyphics book in the library the other day and ended up spending the day reading loads of books on the pyramids and mummies and all sorts. 

Death masks are eerie and beautiful so I've looked at quite a few of them.

Here I made Tutankhamun out of parcel tape - I wanted to show the shininess of his death mask as well as the stunning and iconic shapes that have been painted on to him.

Here's a bit of a twist on your classic mummy, a bit of leopard print in there. I know the Ancient Egyptians liked their cats so I'm calling this one Tutankardashian because he's a bit more glam and 'in season'.

And here are some left handed drawings of things that Weston Park Museum told me that you need to go into the afterlife - you'll thank me one day.

Chole x

Hello Beautiful - My entry

The Hello Beautiful exhibition is up today, and opening tonight!

Here is the piece I have created for the exhibition.

Endurance and survival - things camels symbolise & links to people suffering with breast cancer

Camel & Beauty = words from the same roots in Arabic

Decorated camels - because camel beauty pageants exist and even with 1 hump the camel is still a beautiful camel 

I decided to make the camels go uphill on the words, I like to think that even the composition shows positivity as well as the image as a whole.

I'm really pleased with how it has turned out! 

Eric Carle

I've been looking at Eric Carle recently, and I love the use of shape in his work. The tones in each part are beautiful, and look a bit like collage.

 

I like how the circles have kind of square edges - really like how they're a bit stripey, and the way he uses space - everything on the piece is seperated.

Here is my Eric Carle inspired pigeon work...

Tobias Göbel

I'm a massive fan of animal themed work and I really like these pieces by Tobias Gobel. I think the composition is great - I love the mirrored shape of the owl on the top one and the vivid green background.

  

The circles on this piece are really nice - a different way of presenting imagery (and a bit like a food chain)

                              Also love the watercolour effect on this! It is subtle yet still eyecatching. 

Zoe More OFerrall

I really like how Zoe More OFerrall has picked out certain drawings with colours in her work, and the way she has arranged it all. Her drawings are beautiful, and I'm intrigued by the mixture of different objects such as golden syrup, a Chinese lantern, a London bus and a chicken. Her work is quirky and each drawing is delicate making her work really stand out.

            

Camel outcomes

Here is a possible Hello Beautiful project outcome.

I went with the words 'survival' and 'endurance' as they're two of many great things that camels symbolise, and I think that these are things that really fit well with the Hello Beautiful project - giving people who are suffering with breast cancer positivity and encouragement.

I like to think I've made the camels looks quite beautiful and elegant - linking in to the roots of the word camel... and even though the camel on the right only has one hump, it is still very bright and beautiful and quite clearly still a camel. 

Hello Beautiful - My Project

Trust me to choose something unusual when I'm given a project brief.

This time for the Hello Beautiful breast cancer charity project... I've chosen our (1 or 2) humped friends, camels.

There are a lot of negative ideas about camels, but think about it...

Camels are symbols of 

• Survival
• Endurance
• Journeying
• Adaptation

IN FACT, the words 'camel' and 'beauty' in Arabic have the same roots.

ALSO camel pageants are a thing...

I've learnt a lot about camels, and I appreciate them a lot more now.

But how to put all that across in a final piece?

Robbie Porter

I found Robbie Porter in Now Then magazine. It's as if he's captured every ridiculous/dreamlike idea in his imagination and succeeded in converting it into an image. I love his use of collage, computer and drawing. 

Also think the composition is great - the amount of white space to image is just right.

 The tea drinker reminds me of myself!

Michelle Thompson

I absolutely love Michelle Thompson's work.
The colours, the contrast, the collage.

The way she uses old photos is ingenious - the child on the Bird Watching piece holding out a hand to a bird in a Snow White-esque manner.

 

The placement of imagery is really clever. Thompson plays with scale and shape. In particular I like that the legs on the image above have been repeated, enlarged and had a blue filter added to them.

Shout out to the random camel on the piece. Coincidentally, my current work is about camels.