I took some time today to plan a realistic timeline along with artwork-ideas in order to create some structure for the next 9 weeks:
Some rough ideas scribbled in my sketchbook:
The photo above shows ideas for displaying my pigments, pastels, and clay. I have found this vintage steel cabinet for sale that might be perfect for the display.
On the right is an idea for an interactive experience. I like the idea that it point to the saying: ‘with your head in the ground’. Also hinting at hiding or thinking that no-one sees you when really you is visible. This speaks to people in society who are indifferent to the hidden crisis of soul and soil health. Perhaps sound, smell and sight can be combined within the ‘boxes’.
From my sketchbook:
The photo above: The circles are mixed media artworks I plan around the theme of: Figure studies inspired by polyvagal theory, felt sense based on interoception and sensory processing as written about in my Contextual study.
The rectangles and house-shape images will also be figure studies but centered around our 8 senses (or perhaps the 7 other senses seeing that interoception will be covered).
Top right is reference to 3 sculpture that I would like to make. Only rough and stylistic. They will be the figure with a house-shape cut out of their torso. This will suggest that the paintings are talking about the inner world.
Below are some images I have been working on in photoshop to serve as reference for drawing and painting. (They might take a bit longer to load since they are a big file size):
A photoshoot with some crazy carnival characters and some root systems of fallen trees from a recent storm:
Some more planning from my sketchbook:
The two photo’s above are ideas for display. The bottom right on the last image shows ‘printers trays’ that are built as drawers. I have two of these and think I might have them made into a drawer stand as shown. As written on the page – I might fill them with foraged natural objects ethically taken from nature on my runs and hikes. I could also include small ‘cabinet paintings’ or miniature drawing and paintings of the medicinal plants. These drawings can some from the book I wrote of in my contextual study called: Flora Capensis Medicae Prodromus (the first documentation of medicinal plants in Cape Town in 1857)
I am making vessels of wild and bought clay. I would like to display more drawings of indigenous plants found in Jonkershoek. The interconnection of these pots draws from my research.
Above: I have been experimenting with clay (mixed with adhesive) in a wooden box. I carve parts of a map and then let it crack further. I then fill the cracks with natural earth pigments and use encaustic medium to create a coat over it. I am planning to either transfer a print of my own drawing onto it (it involves risk. Or, I can do a painting onto glass and add that over the clay background. I don’t know?
These artworks will speak about soil erosion and with a painting or drawing of a plant that shows its root system might communicate the danger of these valuable plants without soil.
Here are photos of my experiments so far:
Copper is something I would like to run through all of the artworks to tie them together. As part of the exhibition, I would think of running a copperwire along the entire space and as it runs in the empty spaces between artworks, could perhaps write of doodle something on the wall as it continues to the next work, binding and connecting everything.
Many many ideas!