As well as sketching out my ideas on paper I have also been making maquettes which are a scale model or rough draft of an unfinished sculpture. The art teacher at my local college suggested spending a fixed amount of time creating each one so that I do not get bogged down in lots of detail, freeing up my creativity. So I decided to limit myself with the same amount of clay and within 15 minutes reuse the clay to create different forms.
The forms were based on shapes I had seen in the boatyard, on posters, other artists interpretation of boats and sculptures. At this stage I knew that I wanted to see contrast in my work, showing the dualism of the smooth surface against the rough textured exterior. It is important that I show elements of the construction in my pieces, hence the holes where bolts were used. To me its vital to show the skill and craftmanship of the local workforce, in my work.
I found the process liberating and easy to push forward with slight changes in the form. I quickly discovered that just slight adjustments or the placing of the form made huge differences to the aesthetic of the form. The process also helped me to see what I liked and didn't like with my finished pieces I made in Practice 2 of the course.
Having seen an exhibition about the Windrush Generation in the PR1 Gallery in the autumn of 2021 I realised I had lost sight of my shipbuilding element to my work. In response to this exhibition I made a maquette which I used as my stand and deliver project. The flag (first picture below) was my inspiration but I wanted to collate all my current thinking and learning in one piece. This included my lava glaze recipe and my slate glaze recipe together with the smooth and textured surfaces. I am now beginning to feel that my work is progressing in the way I envisaged.
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