Tuesday 22 November 2011

Boats


I visited the coast on Nov 13th after a misty start at Minsmere and following a delicious hot chocolate from the old coast guard cottages cafe it turned into a bright crisp afternoon on Dunwich beach.
Boats and hunting for driftwood soon became the focus for a walk. My head began to clear and my optimism was renewed. The beached showed evidence of heavy strong seas and high tides which had littered the tide line with loads of of plastic, some driftwood and massive clumps of seaweed on the beach and in the sea. The weed had tangled amongst it rope, plastic fishing line and dangerous hooks.
The visit inspired boat making with found driftwood and beach finds.

The sky was a perfect blue and strong shadows cast by the winching shed made the scene even more appealing.

Before showing you some of the boats made after my visit. I thought I would include a picture of Discarded a found piece which combined beach finds with collaged art work on a painted canvas. I was producing work like this during 2005




This reminds me of a Maldon barge I used to live close to Maldon . It was great to pop to the river and see the barges and other boats the mud, reed beds etc. Fond memories

This reminds me of a boat I saw in the far east.


I love finding pieces of wood which have been painted

Transparent sail
I called this piece Iron Bird

Half circle

Heartshaped glass


Thursday 3 November 2011

Found

I found this fantastic piece of shaped metal on a lovely warm sunny day the tide was out and the beach was sandy. I love the texture, colour, size and patina. It is so exciting stumbling across something like this. My brain goes into overdrive very satisfying.





Further on down the beach I found this piece of old pipe encrusted with stones. The colour is similar to the previous piece but it is more organic. I thought I would combine the pieces together but they seem to cancel one another out. I like to use pieces together from the same walk.



When I tried it out I think they cancel one another out.







I added 3 these small canvases to rusted beach find it acts as a frame. This works for me.




We had really strong winds and rough seas at the beginning of the week.


It was half term week so many more visitors to the site. These boys played for hours on the edge of the raging sea having great fun note the wellies which must have been very wet in side. The day before at this spot there was a vast expanse of sand and with the help of there dad they dug out a large boat- this took most of the morning and had great fun smashing it to pieces when the went up for lunch. Reminds me of my myself at there young age on or around this spot.




After a very blustery night in the caravan during my morning beach walk I found the pieces of wood on the tide line I have used in this found piece. I have used wire to lash them together to make the form of a boat shape. The piece of ply had come off a huge piece that I found further along the shore. The exposed layers and uneven shape reminded me of sails.


Detail of boat. I have in the past combined wire to draw on top of painting.

Thursday 6 October 2011

Saturday 20 August 2011

Boats, off shore wind farm and more boats

The sun was so bright it bleached out the sea - it reminds me of a batik - inspired me to make the found boats.




























Container ship I like the block shapes
the contrast with the fishing boat is marked.

If you enlarge next pic you can see the wind farm on the horizon

The large sailing boat stayed in the bay over two nights before setting sail.

On our return from Dunwich I made these boats with found objects found on the beach

When I was downloading pics onto the computer I felt the studio wall with figure stone work looked magical so had to include it.

Tuesday 2 August 2011

A wonderful week at Dunwich, walking, looking, collecting, studies and relaxing.




Found objects from the beach

Assembled in studio































































Watercolour studies, lots of heavy rain ever changing colours sea and sky.

Sparkling shimmering sea and sky

Saturday 25 June 2011

Sizewell

In my last posting I said that my next post would be about my work based on Sizewell. I have been contemplating this theme over several years. A catalyst for action has been the Japanese situation caused by natural events. I watched the construction of Sizewell B and remember the protests against it at the time. My reaction as an artist is that its position and location in the landscape can look magnificent. I illustrate this with digital photos taken over a five year period.

However my heart and head agrees with the protests. I am aware of the so called green issues. I intent to complete a series of art work using the imagery below.

This week the go ahead for the construction of another reactor on the site has been given. My fears are primarily about the safety of the site.




I was working on this mixed media painting during my open studio weekends. The view is from Dunwich village beach looking towards Sizewell. You can see part of the complex and dome I plan to complete a series of work from various view points showing different moods.


Digital image taken earlier this year on a very busy day for Dunwwich.


Digital image from Minsmere beach in the early evening it demonstrates how shallow the beach is. How vulnerable the site is.


A glorious summer evening with long shadows. The dome looks iconic the path drawing you in. It reminds me of the Taj Mahal .





This picture demonstrate how in one day of storms the edge of the land can disappear into the sea. The sea breached into the marsh land. This rings alarm bells for me.


I love the colours in the foreground of this image and the contrast with the mist obscuring the site and sea.

I am currently working on a piece based on this image. I often sit from this viewpoint watching marsh harriers coming into the reed beds a wonderful sight.