Initial ideas.

To kick start the process of visually expressing the direction in which I plan to take this project, I began to sketch out a few ideas that primarily came to mind. With these ideas not being set in stone as an idea I find it comforting that if I am to come to a inspiration block or if I fell like I have completely lost sight and am not happy in the way my work is going, I can always go back to these ideas.

Within these small sketches I have included both human and plant form showing that I wish to some how merge the two within my artwork; these images are quite literal at the moment but I have every intention in going as openly abstract with this as the project progresses. Human facial expressions have also been drawn, finding it is very relevant to include and be aware that to humans this is the most obvious way of visually expressing that one is in pain.

I have also included a simple sketch of a tree spirits from the Studio Ghibli film, Princess Mononoke and a sketch of a small sculptural piece from the exhibition Extraordinary Measures where the artist has created a battle with creatures and small stick like winged figures.

Links:

Tree Spirit -Princess Mononoke: http://images.tribe.net/tribe/upload/photo/27e/7a2/27e7a250-fe4b-4a5c-bad2-8b5f17edc008

Extraordinary Measures:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/7657137/Extraordinary-Measures-fairies-lifelike-sculptures-and-tiny-tourists-at-Belsay-Hall-in-Northumberland.html?image=7

A spark of inspiration.

Over the summer holidays I was watching a child hood favourite movie, Fern Gully: The Last Rain Forest and one of the scenes really caught my attention. A small part of the animation movie where Crysta questions if her new human friend can feel the pain of the tree that he is carving into. I started to imagine how nature would look if it possessed the ability to create expressions of pain or any other type of emotions and thought it would be an interesting idea to peruse into an art form.

A new year a new space.

A gimps of what my new studio space looks, where I will be studying and creating most of my work.

The Plan.

I have previously focused my work on the concept of dreams, specifically the types channelled by anxiety. Nature has been the underlining context for the majority of my work; I find it highly inspirational and would like to bring it forward into more of my practice. At the moment I would like to look at the idea of nature having emotions, and can feel pain, love and stress. By combining the human form to other living forms such as plant life would be both a challenging and interesting direction in which to take my work in.

I would like to explore as many different processes and strategies throughout the year so that I can develop an overall knowledge of areas I feel confident with and areas that I enjoy and would like to improve.  As I mainly work in sculpture I would like to take a step back from this process and look at printing, paint and photography then finally go back to sculpture to see if exploring other areas has influenced the thinking and creating process of my work.

For my exploration of practice methods to work successfully I will have to attend several workshops including stretcher making and various print workshops. I will look at inspirational writers, artists and photographers that share the concept of nature or along similar lines. I would also like to visit woodland areas to take some primary source material and produce drawings that I can take back to the studio and work from.