Creative practice as research

Week 2 of Analysis of Contemporary Context module and notes from a Creative practice as research seminar. Afternoon free writing session After initial recoil of horror at having to be interactive while being online, this session was thought provoking, useful and I think I wrote some quite useful notes during the ‘automatic writing’. The dogs …

Tushker

I picked up my Tushker today, it can't really be called a Tairsgeir anymore as I used the archived drawing from Shetland so it's a Tushker. I need to leave it outside for a couple of days for the weld to rust, of course its not raining today for once. Photograph Affleck, Sketching the profile …

Initial thoughts on Masters project

We need to make a proposal in a couple of months for our masters project. I'm having some initial thoughts after having a discussion about the location of former Glasgow potteries, kilns being vernacular structures and locating clay sources. Conor was keen for me to use the site as my site of audiencing for the …

Tairsgeir II

Despite feeling I was giving too little notice to the blacksmith to ask him to make me a Tairsgeir, I decided to drive via a local Blacksmith's to ask if he could make me one. The last smith I'd been talking to by email and phone changed his mind and I felt it was a …

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 …

Vaulted peat stacks

Image: wikipedia. Link only pasting photograph rather than text Different method of stacking to herringbone.

Peat cutting

The cutting and stacking of 'turf' or peat result in vernacular structures. The peat is cut in slices and laid out to dry before it is stacked for storing. Some online images of turf structures (https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-peat-stack-on-south-uist-outer-hebrides-134518939.html)   (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/115052965455962188/) Duncan MacDonald out at his peat cuttings near Gisla, Uig, on the Isle of Lewis Peat stacked in …

Final firing results

The work came out of the kiln today. The bisqued pieces didn't vitrify, the screen printed flask with the clear glaze made the ink less sharp. I would love to try them in the university's raku kiln. The decals melted into the glaze but look shaky, rather than sharp. Low temperature decals next time. The …

Project brief for Ceramics 1

I'm going through the handbook for Ceramics 1 trying to focus on what I want to work on for this module. It begins with a personal project brief. I have begun the module looking at the Holburne Project and developing the flasks, which I will continue with, but I would like to develop what I …

Rethinking vernacular structures

I've started looking back at my research from last semester and rethinking what I want to work on this semester. I came across this which I found inspiring and has made me begin thinking about vernacular structures. Virginia McKinney (2012)Small habitats. Clay and steel (sculptures http://www.dailyartmuse.com/2012/01/) I'm revisiting everything today and have a tutorial for Ceramics …