Drawing in the air

Researching into animals according to Shakespeare is yielding some fascinating results; you should never come between a dragon and its wrath, rats would desert the vessel described in The Tempest and the goat is coming across very cheekily. The next stage for the students is to vigorously research and develop ideas to convey some of these results, how can wrath, desertion and cheekiness be conveyed with a drawing, a sculpture, an animation or a photograph?

This workshop involved 'drawing' with wire of varying thicknesses (and it is easier said than done) to encourage the students to explore spacial and gestural properties they could employ in their explorations with conveying their animal and the specific focus they are working towards

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Samantha-Jo Carter - Dragonflies

Chalk and Charcoal.

For my Research Methodology Project, i chose to research into Dragonflies because of the many miscommunicated ideas about them. Through my research i found that depending on where in the world you are, and what culture you lean towards, Dragonflies can be seen as either an evil creature or on the other hand a creature of peace and tranquility.

Wire Sculpture.

For the first half of this project i experimented into different ways in which i can portray the dragonfly with numerous materials. When it came to experimenting with different materials i wanted to keep the out come of the image somewhat relative to the research into culture i was working on at the time. For example the image below was made rather dark, with thick colours to show how in European culture the Dragonfly was considered to be the Devils insect, and as a rather evil creature.

Acrylic paints.

This image is of my final image, a piece of wallpaper sample that i decided to create after researching about Japanese cultures and their relations with the tranquility of Dragonflies. After researching into how the Dragonfly is often used within him Decor, i thought i would try and incorporate both decor and Japanese culture into one image in order to create my final piece.

My final piece was created with a mixture of drawing inks, charcoal and chalks.

Workshop with Los Dave

Earlier this week Los Dave worked with the first years to explore the movement and balance of the animals being studied in our current unit 'Research Methodology' and express it in found materials, (namely barbecue grills, wire, sticks and string) He outlined an initial modelling technique using Blu Tac to capture the movement in 3 dimensions, before developing it using the intended media.

For more info on Los Dave see www.losdave.bigcartel.com

The Rabbit

I looked at rabbits, first focusing on how they live in the wild,

but then moving on to examine how they are kept as pets.

Through my research, I found that many rabbit-owners are not aware of basic

rabbit needs and rabbits are frequently abandoned when they are more work than the

owner anticipated. I wanted to show that rabbits are not 'easy option' pets and in

particular communicate the fact that they can live for 10 years. I also experimented

with how I could visualise the inquisitive nature of this creature.

Pomeranian

I based my methodical research on the breed of dog named, Pomeranian. After informing myself of its interesting history and origins, I began exploring social issues involved in owning a 'Toy' breed, its personality and behaviour. With the Pomeranian being a symbol of fame and decadence, I experimented with different ways I could portray this, considering the use of media, texture and colour. I directed my ideas into screen printing on pillows to conclude and convey the symbolic depiction of social class and fashion of Pomeranians.

Danielle Noakes

The Mandarin Goby

I chose to look at the Mandarin for my project as I used to admire them so much in my job in a local aquatic retail shop where I live. Their delicate fins and striking colours make them to be one of the prettiest fish in the ocean. However they are at risk from being kept in captivity and the methods in catching them for pets. Small spears shot through their tail catches the poor fish which is then transported into a bare tank to be selected and sent to retailers across the world. Many marine fish suffer from this exhausting method of transportation and many die during. The fish also lose their colour when being caught or under any sort of stress. I found this a very interesting element to my chosen fish and decided to take a look further into why they do such a thing. Below are images of  a small selection of work i picked out from my unit. 

The Rat

For this unit I chose to research the rat, an animal I have always been fond of and believe to be widely misunderstood. I informed myself on both the positive and negative attributes of the animal; the part they played in the spread of the Black Death, symbolism and representations in popular culture, the pet or 'fancy rat' and the creature as vermin. As part of the project, I created a cute rat from knitted carrier bags and discarded materials to address the comparison between 'pest' and 'pet'.

Below are a selection of sketchbook pages, my wire sculpture and knitted rat:

Wire 'drawing'

Using ordinary gardening wire these sculptures have been made using a continuous line technique, but in 3 dimensions. Consideration has been given to the weight and quality of line in conveying an aspect of the animal depicted. Some are incomplete, and some explore just one element of the creature.