30th of April

Well had a day off so i thought its game on for working.

 Got up to this plastcine model this morning, admitly my skill level with the plastcine needs some real work but it was informative to me making it up. I decided to go with the fruit bowl idea because i love this idea the most of the ones ive designed.

 This was the first idea i came up with this morning just a quick sketch, the main aspect of this design i like most is the masking tape over it to really show the tension point. I personally other than the tension point dont really like this idea.

 This was a few ideas i went on from something i saw in the street, it was a branch broke in two but still together so i decided to try some pronged ideas. I dont really like the multiply bends myself. I much prefer the one strong curve rather than many.

 This was a few more ideas for the on the table candle holder, i like both ideas but i really want to do something different that on the table. I think i am really leaning towards something hanging off a wall, all my ideas keep going back to it. Will come back to these ideas though.

 These are my ideas on maybe doing a door knocker, i think that this idea could really be took further, i find myself alot more drawn towards the top hanging than fixed at the bottom.

 These are the wall hanging candle holder ideas ive got going on, i think that these are working ideas in a real rough form. They need a little polishing up and maybe one of these could be the final piece.

That is the work for the day, quite proud of what i got done there. In the forge all day tommorow so probably have a new forged sample up tommorow.

29th of April

Had a crazy few days, was at the forge in up at Bringsty Forge yesterday so got little work done. Got one massive hang over but decided to get some work done. Had some tea and got alot of sketchbook work done so thought i would share some.

 This is the first drawing i got onto, i really wanted to draw up the item me and Mel got onto last week. Wanted to put alot more detail into and get some more knowledge about the shape, this knowledge lead onto these.

 First idea i got from was the idea of a hanging fruit bowl, i really like this idea because its simple but it includes all the items i want to get in there, the large rivet connection, the tension, the pulling down wards and the bending. This is going to be something i will be taking further.

 These are 4 ideas for stand alone candle holders, i tried to get as much of the elements of mine into it. Many of them were drawn up without the tension but i wanted to check out how it would look so i used masking tape to put the bolt in. I prefer the large bolt or rivet in the candle holder.

 This is my favourite of the candle holder designs, it was an idea Mel came up with so i thought i would draw it up and it is really awesome. I think the wall hanging element makes it a lot more similar to the ideas i have been having in my head.

Tomorrow i have a free day so i have decided i am going to use my lovely Plasticine and make a model up of one of my favourite designs, i don't know which but i will make one.

26th of April

Owe I'm back, got into that forge this morning trashed a massive piece of bar with my hammer and got my groove back on.

After destroying the bar i started doing a little sampling which i will be putting up here soon just need to find my camera cable. After the forge had a tutorial with Mel.

 It went pretty great, she went through the sketchbook really liked it, liked what i was doing but better than that was we had a pretty good back and forth over some ideas that Ive been really thinking over. The main thing about this project that has been getting me is where I'm taking it and in one short conversation Ive got options, god i love options.

 She settled on this image and starting looking how it looked on the image and the ideas she got from this one image was just what i was looking for. I mean hanging this from a wall instantly adds a purpose to it, could it be a sculpture? Maybe a door knocker? I kicked the idea of a candle holder around. So a lot to think about, don't know how much I will get done tonight because the gang is going on mass to see the Avengers but i will endeavour to get alot done tomorrow night.  Hopefully....

25th of April

Very little done today, i was on abit of a high until i got home and checked my emails. I had sent out a few emails to blacksmiths around yorkshire looking for some work and recived a particularly rude email back from one. Completley lost my mood with that blow, dont think i get much done today, sad day.......

23rd of April

Back to uni today, was pretty determined to get someone to look over this before i came home. Happily Ambrose gave it look and he is quite happy with the progress, i told him bout my ideas of working on tension and he suggested lookng at Sail Boats and Bridges.

 This were the pictures that really jumped out at me from a quick goggle search on sail boats. My faveriote would be the second picture, i really love the look of the ropes pulling together really showing the tension in the picture. I am going to print it out tommorow and really get some drawing done with that image.

 These were a couple of images i got from a similar google search, really like the idea of doing something with the supesion bridges its like the chain from before it is just the tension completley changing the piece. Without the tension it would fall to pieces so without the tension it wouldnt work a true piece of tension in working order. 

 After looking at the suspension bridges so much i decided to take a picture of one right down the street from me, the hereford bridge here is really a buetiful piece of artichture. 


In other news i have started experimenting with some indain ink to try and jazz up my pages because i have a fear there a little boring next to alot of other sketch books, i think i need a little sampling with it then i will get the idea right.

19th of April

This is a picture i did in my sketchbook recently, i really like the look of this image but why i put here was the drawing below. I like the simplified angle of the image, i did this quite quick trying to show the change in this image from loose chain to a rigid chain. Really got me thinking about this point of tension then change of the entire object.

 I stumbled onto the idea of wiring, a growing techinque for Bonsai trees involving anchoring a part of the tree down so it has a really unique shape to it. I really love this idea of pegging something in one part of tension changing an object completley, would quite like to do a bit of sampling to see what i can do.

On a more personal note, getting really ill at the moment, started to drag me down. Just sticking to the phrase of my brother 'Man Up'

14th of April

Had a pretty productive day today, got on with some sketchbook work which im in mixed minds. Im trying to get alot into there like they asked for but because they have said they cant read my writing how to i put my thoughts right there s they can see it? I guess i could slow down and write a bit nicer but it will be difficult for me. Thats just something to think over.

Had a nice little breakthrough today.

 This is a really strong image i took while i was wandering around the forge, its a real show of applied force. I can get that from the image but can other people? I think thats what adrian was trying to get accross to me with his talks, what i can see is soething else to what others can see.

 But when you show the entire machine i think everyone can see that it is a real applied force, there is alot of power in that arm forcing down onto the plate. So maybe thats they key, not just the force but its surrondings. The build up. The asethetics. Alot to think about, wouldnt mind a tutorail with Mel when i get back see her point of view over this.

8th of April

I have finally finished the Cultural studies essay, i think i will be taking a trip to the royal amouraies tommorow should be quite intresting and get a few nice snaps.

 Just a picture to raise my spirits today, been a low week

A Nice Cup

Went to the cinema today, we had ourselves

a Burger King got looking at the cup i was given.

I like this design its very flowing

and curvy.

1st April

Not much done today, Started my discourse essay mind. Did around 1,200 words on it just need to do a conclusion to finish it up.

Got a to do list over this hoilday.

• Finish Discourse Essay
• Finish Cultural Studies research folder and Essay
• Forge up Cultural Studies piece
• Get on this new project