Back in the Workshop I have been working on my “testing trees” using slip and sgraffito on bisque fired, dry and leather hard pieces. The more I look at the forms I made last semester and the test forms in front of me I feel that none of the forms are working. I will press on and use the test pieces for exploring texture and colour, but I have such a niggle about FORM!
Making the large forms improved my hand building skills and the process was valuable. I also enjoyed making lots of cylindrical forms, that too was good practice, however neither of the above are satisfactory in terms of form, the large ones are too wonky and the small ones too symmetrical.
Back to where I began once more, having a good look at my first drawings and paintings.
The shapes above are loosely cylindrical and gently tapered with subtle undulations. The third image is a photograph of the shadow thrown on my wall by the curtain, presenting me with the Eureka! Moment – now that’s the form I’m looking for, more slender and refined, with the emphasis on verticality and simplicity of form on to which I can add selective and dramatic texture.
Looking forward
Now that the “Form Penny” has dropped I need to work out how to construct maquettes which are true to the original thoughts on the birch forms and look again at Jenny Beavan’s “Cores” with a view to construction and perhaps using more than one variety of clay.
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