Learning log

Establishing Professional Practice 25/02/13 Week 6 Module name: Timetable hours: Hours attended: Additional hours:

Design & Materials 450 minutes 0 - Tutorial 5920 minutes

What I expect to achieve: By the end of this week, I expect to have a complete model and do some orthographic drawings in Auto Cad. I also intend to see Richard long’s exhibition at Whitworth Art Gallery on Friday.

What have I achieved?

I was torn between two designs. At first I wanted to make an arc-shaped sculpture/seat made from Teak (hardwood) and weathering steel but I chose the other design, which I made using twigs, invisible thread and tissue paper. I then turned to Auto Cad and Sketch Up to draw my model.

Did I visit any galleries to further my knowledge?

I visited Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester and looked at three exhibitions from Richard Long (Land Art), John Piper (The Mountains of Wales) and Michael Landy (Four Walls). It was nice to see the connections between their personal experiences and their work. Richard long changed the way artist view the landscape by making sculptures through his many walks. John Piper started drawing and painting landscapes of North Wales in the middle of the Second World War. Michael Landy was inspired by a severe spinal injury that his father had, which rendered him housebound.

I also attended an Adobe webinar that focused on Photoshop, Photoshop Touch and Creative Cloud for Photographers. There was a short presentation at the start about Adobe and what they offer and then we got into the technicalities of the software.

What do I think/feel about my achievements?

After making my model and spray-painting it, I was not that happy with it anymore. I went back to my first design of the arc-shaped sculpture/seat and made that. I liked this idea at first but I was so indecisive and spent so much time thinking.

What did I learn this week I learned about Teak (hardwood) and weathering steel, which was a necessary part of my work because I needed to chose the right materials for my model. I know that weathering steel is very strong steel compared to other steels. It is used for bridges, external fixtures in buildings and sculptures. Teak on the other hand is hardwood mainly used for furniture, boatbuilding and indoor flooring.

I also learned a lot at the Adobe webinar mainly to do with the software. Photoshop

Establishing Professional Practice 25/02/13 now has a dark interface (that I prefer) and a file saving option that can be used to backup files while working, which is perfect when you forget to save your work.

Photoshop Touch is a touch application that allows designers to work on the go.

Creative Cloud is also available on Photoshop Touch, which allows easy access to desktop files. InDesign is a publishing software that can be used to make posters, flyers, newspapers etc.

What will I do next...?

I will finish my orthographic drawings, Sketch Up model and then start designing my client presentation. I will also prepare to hand in my work at the end of the week.

Find below photographs of my work and images from Whitworth Art Gallery.

Unfortunately the public is not allowed to take photographs of these exhibitions, so I used online sources to get these images.

My first design

Twigs attached with invisible tread

Establishing Professional Practice 25/02/13

Model covered in tissue paper

Model spray-painted

Establishing Professional Practice 25/02/13 My final design

Steel bench made from card

Establishing Professional Practice 25/02/13 Whitworth Art Gallery

Richard Long, Tideless Stones, 2008 Words below were written on the wall, they distill the action and experience of a solitary walk into words.

Day to day Camp to camp Water to water Summit to summit Boulder to boulder Footpath to footpath Rainstorm to rainstorm Experience to experience An eight day walk in the Cairngorm Mountains Scotland, 2007

Establishing Professional Practice 25/02/13

Michael Landy, Four Walls, 2004

John Piper, Rocks at Capel Curig. c.1950

Establishing Professional Practice 25/02/13 This work really touched me just looking at the black fabric hanging on the wall was enough to interest me. So sad but at the same time beautiful, I took a picture of the artist's statement because I like what she wrote.