Shetland glossary- visual poetry

I've worked on a few drafts of this. I began as always transcribing the words into a word document, this time from my glossary of tabu terms from the Haaf fishermen, found first quoted by MacFarlane, then in my Shetland Glossary bought online from the Shetland Times bookstore. ‘Shetland Words’, A dictionary of the Shetland …

Practical reflection

The organisation of the work final presentation has progressed in the last month. I’ve had a couple of meetings with the blacksmith Alesdair working out how to make the water trough for the top of the plinth. He had problems welding the steel plate, as he applied heat it was warping, so I’ve abandoned that …

Point of reflection

This project has been moving through different phases; research, exploration,  conception, development, model and mould making, slip casting, firing, photography, discussion, reflection, slip casting of black parian, firing, photography, reflection, and lastly the discussion of how to communicate the work in the final showing in the 'show'. At this point I decided to try to …

Taking the black parian onsite

I fired two pieces of black parian to 1200 after the bisque firing and sanding. It is the higher side of the firing range but the pieces came out vitrified and no warping. I took the advantage of a sunny day to take the two black and two white pieces onsite to photograph. I am …

Images

Photography and reflection

I took the first two fired pieces on site to see how the work will look when photographed in the timber ponds. I wanted to look at the work reflected in the water, how the work frames the view, how the texture of the parian works with the seaweed and sand. I went near sunset …

Timber pond historical research

The timber ponds feature in an episode of Britain at Low Tide: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/britain-at-low-tide/on-demand/66195-006 This is a study of intertidal archaeology of remains found in the River Clyde estuary and it's history leading up to the 19/20th century ship building in the Clyde. Remains of iron age Crannog, Schooners and mud punts are half buried in …

Elevational studies

I've been exploring the profiles of the timbers by tracing elevational studies onto photographs. Photographs taken with iPhone 7, imported into Adobe Draw, iPad Pro, traced over using apple pencil. Edited in Adobe Illustrator CC2019 and Adobe Photoshop CC2019.  

Language – negative space

I've been reflecting on the space the timber ponds occupy and the words I initially collected relating to this. Liminal space, intertidal sands and mud. Suggesting borders, contrast, shadow, reflection, shifting space, wet and dry, water and wind erosion. As I started sketching the profiles of the timbers the Japanese concept of Ma keeps coming …

Week 3 writing workshop with Conor

Featured image: Affleck, mapping exercise, black ink, overlaid text in Photoshop CC 2018. Location St Benedict's Abbey, Fort Augustus ( built 1880)/ now The Highland Club Instructions . mapping exercise . site . orienting self 3 walks of 12 minutes each in the interior and exterior environments appropriate text follow same or different path, stop …