Core studies, week 2

My task for the day (self-imposed): to fill the sketchbook with drawings based on the photos taken in Sculpture class last week. First make the sketchbook - this consists of half a sheet of A1 paper, two strips glued together.The bit of paper at top left, filled in by the tutor, indicates that you've had a discussion that day, and records what was talked about and actions to take. (They have to do rather more record-keeping and documentation than we do.)

By mid-afternoon the little book was filling up, but it wasn't working. So, you write about what's going on - assess, revise ... and make sure you write about what's going right, too!
The pages I felt were working were those with the greatest contrasts and with focal points. Overall, there's too many different things going on - I tried to use different marks on each page, and they got to be too different. Possibly the introduction of colour muddied the waters still further. [Waters - what if this was underwater...?]
With an hour remaining in the day, I made even smaller "books" - each is the length of an A1 sheet of paper, but only 1/8 the width. This one is much more satisfying than the previous drawing - is it the sparseness? The space isn't quite right, along the whole length, but it's getting there.
My next task is to do three more of these, and see what happens. What will happen if the foreground is covered in marks, or colour -- or if the very back is -- or the middle distance ...? What if holes are cut in it, and light shone from behind? What if there's a mirror behind it -- or if there are several of the drawings and they sit on a mirror?

Part of the interest of being in a class situation is seeing what other people are doing, of course, and you can't help but overhear what's being said to them - and that information is often more useful than what's actually said directly to you. For instance, something to keep in mind when putting together your portfolio is "How bored are they going to get" when looking through it.

Also, people bring interesting things with them - even if it happens to be just the newspaper. The Guardian had some gripping photos - of Karachi in ruins -
and of ice-fishing in Korea -
And these dead flies appeared in Sueddeutsche Zeitung -
At lunchtime in the library I discovered Metalsmith magazine, and this inlaid floor (Life Forms) by Michele Oka Doner -
This printed shirt by Amsterdam-based Uli Rapp is fun - look at what a little change in scale can do -
But the pressing task is to get the Statement of Intent finalised; it has to be handed in, and sent to the examiners, soon. I'm still enthralled by stairs and ladders (and dark rooms under the stairs) - moreso probably than by doorways and thresholds. Might have to do a major revision...