Wind Drawing

 Wind Drawing

The wind moves

the pen decides, swaying

shall I shan’t I

How the pen moves.

A small stroke

A hesitation.  A solid dot

A gust of wind

the pen sweeps and

creates a curved line

abruptly lifted from

the papers surface

to fly through the air

and land again

close by

the solid dot.

Catching the Wind earlier

Seaweed drawings from the weekend....The photos are not fantastic even though I took them outside but I don't have time to set each one up properly, so these are just to give you an idea of what is happening.

Catch the Wind

I have been thinking about John Cages writings...a particular phrase....
'In accordance with what happens'

And so I have added my own

'In accordance with the winds direction'
'In accordance with the winds existence'

It was strange and wonderful watching this drawing happen.  The wind was quite calm 8mph so at times there was little movement and the pen would sway slightly but not move and I got quite excited when a small gust of wind arrived driving the pen in a curve on the outskirts of the centre of action.  It has become a meditative process which I am thoroughly enjoying

 

The progression throughout an hour and a half

 

Beside the sea side, beside the sea!

Drawings as promised earlier....better photos will be on their way

During my degree I created some large charcoal seaweed drawings which became almost like internal landscapes. These drawings are an observation of these amazing plant life, an exercise in looking and recording.  I am interested in the contrast of the abstract qualities of the cyanotypes and the lines within the drawings

 

 

I have been fiddling about with photoshop express ....not very well it would seem!!!

She sells sea shells by the sea shore.....

My lovely book found here in Cromarty, printed in 1944, the language is incredible...as you can read above...it didn't really occur to me that the sea shore and its wildlife was strange to most people in the first part of the 20th century.

Drawing Yay....

Started a series of seaweed drawings now...photos coming when the light is good

Here are the two latest cyanotypes.  Bit more contact than the previous ones....the solution has arrived so I can now work on some better paper

 

Blustery Cromarty

Drawing seaweed with the sound of the sea crashing in the background....just had to nip out and catch the waves...studio is getting a bit smelly!!!  At last I feel like I'm connecting again and getting back to drawing

More cyanotypes

So after struggling with dogs and a sloping beach trying to develop the images I decided to take a container with water to develop the work.

So this next one I tried putting the acetate on top of the seaweed....the previous ones I had put the acetate between the paper and the object

and finally the bleached beach plant under acetate as well

very pleased with these results....looking forward to printing on some Fabriano

Cyanotyping and big lightbulb moments

I spent yesterday down on the beach making cyanotypes.  Wonderful.  Alongside a black spaniel trying to help me process one in the sea and a chat with a man who lives in little whitewashed house right by the edge of the estuary who pointed out the house Ian Rankin owns.  No I am not envious!

While I have been here on residency in Cromarty I have been doing a lot of thinking.  Trying to get down to the nitty gritty of my working process and struggling with stuff and not enjoying making.  So after a wonderful day outside creating some prints that I am really happy with (not so much technically speaking but visually speaking) and chatting with my fellow house sharer Sarah about my work I had a big lightbulb moment.  And I am EXCITED.

These first three were ones developed in the sea and you can see a slight salty residue on the surface.....I have to say this second batch of solar paper is not as good as the first batch...if anyone is interested I will let you know which type I think performs better.  Ordering the solution today to paint larger pieces of proper print paper.

so here are the prints: