The deadline for Processing Ideas is fast approaching, and as my attention is focused on that, here is a run down of what I’ve been working on for it.
The words I was allocated for my three words project were:
》tractor 》conceptual 》repeat
I have found using methods to generate ideas quite challenging, ideas generally just come to me and this has led to fragmented sketchbooks where I struggle to show both my thinking and a clear progression. What can I say? I’m a work in progress! I am researching different methods of idea creation and generation.
Linocut
Having found an old Polish tractor manual, I looked through it for strong images that I could work with. I found a diagram of the steering and pedals of the tractor enlarged it and transferred it to lino.
After cutting it, I did a short print run, mostly on [whatever the paper is] although I also printed one on a piece of wood patterned paper from Flows book for Paper Lovers as I liked the texture.
Ceramics
I took the linocut into ceramics with me, where I learned how to use paper clay. I pressed the clay into the lino cut, which took on the texture. I then experimented with cutting the clay up, and using slip to attach it to itself. I also used letterpress blocks as stamps and scratched into a piece of plaster to produce the stamps for the piece below.
This is the result of drawing into to clay. I then pressed the plaster stamps of relevant words into it and finally coated it with red iron oxide. I can’t wait to see what they will look like fired.
Screen printing
I’ve been doing a fair bit of screen printing, both for Mixed Media Practice (where I was screen printing onto felt we made) but also as part of my idea generation.
Xerox & Photoshop Manipulation
I returned to the tractor manual to find more inspiration. I photocopied the title page, cut out the tractor and then ran it through the photocopier set on one-colour settings of Blue, Green and Red. I had some coloured card, so I slipped that into the photocopier behind the tractors and above is the end result. I scanned the tractors on their own and then manipulated them in photoshop to make a tri-colour tractor which I then arranged in a pattern.
This is just a small sample of what I’ve been up to! I will be sharing more on my portfolio pages over the Christmas holiday.
Kitty-AF 