Elemental

After a jet lagged sleepless night I was thinking about the site - peat bog - how it was starting to unfold into earth fire and water. Could I mould/cast 3 different materials:- Earth - raw clay with elements from the site leaves moss grasses Water - cast glass Fire - ash glazed saggar fired …

Peat cutting

The modules of peat cut with the tairsgeir/peat iron (see video below) look to be about a bag of clay, if not half a bag of clay which is too large to work with. I will think about the modules again when I am clearer about how to construct the stack. Construction ideas cut modules …

Towards a proposal

This week I have been immersed in slicing clay and working with it in the peat bog, photographing it and transporting it around. It is interesting working with raw clay, it holds any kind of material collected on site, without the consideration of it burning off in the kiln. I looked into adobe brick construction …

Cruach: peat stacks (gaelic) and raw clay

Image above: Modules of peat, stacked for the winter in a herringbone pattern. Isle of Lewis. Photograph by Angus Mackintosh. Various sources online. The process of stacking peat is labour intensive and involves multiple processes. First the turf is sliced off, then the peat is cut using a Tairsgeir - peat iron - the first …

Black clay: some updates added to the bottom of the post by date order

I ordered Scarva Earthstone Professional PF660 Black Chunky Sculpture Clay and started having a go on the assemblage/vernacular structure/sense of place/essence/ non-realistic representation. Although I tried not to make a boulder, I think it made itself. I wired the end off the clay, and using the harp cut some small slabs to begin working with it. The …

Drystane dyke tutorial

A quick note to put down what Keith and I talked about for feedback regarding proposing the series of boxes - wall. I emailed:- I've translated the vernacular structures, such as the dry stone wall, in essence to signify - strength, balance, shelter, boundary, layering, protection. I want to create vessels that explore this - …

Muse: exhibition interaction II

I emailed the museum, Catrin was kind enough to answer a couple of quick questions regarding - should the flasks be interactive and would anyone be interested in interacting with them. Firstly, she thought that the interactive element we discussed was worth pursuing. Secondly, the university,  social media and what's on guide can help get …

Muse: exhibition interaction

I was interested in the Japanese temple books that pilgrims and travellers carry round with them and get them stamped in each temple - that Tim Parry-Williams mentioned. I've read a bit about them, they're called goshuincho. The name literally means ‘Honourable Red Stamp Book'. What was particularly interesting about them was that their origins were …

Moon flask development

I sketched through some of the elements of the development of the Yixing travel teapot into the moon flask, which will be porcelain or fine bone china with added Bath stone and oxides to create the patina of Holburne's passport, which is the other artefact that I paired with the teapot. I have cast one, …

Holburne Project: collecting samples

I took the opportunity of being in Bath for the Research Methodology presentation on the 9th January to collect samples of Bath stone and have a look for samples in the grounds of the Holburne Museum to add to the body of the travel flask. A quick background to Bath stone: Bath sits on a …