A small insight into all the experimentation and dead ends all leading to finding my way to create this wonderful series.
The most interesting element for me this time was the selection of media. Usually I know if it is watercolour or acrylic but this time both ended up feeling wrong either not enough energy (watercolour) or too bold and not gentle when needed (pure Acrylic). I played with collage, charcoal, acrylic pens, ink, printing, pouring and various different textures, colours and combinations. After each session I reflected on what I liked the feel of and then the next day what looked right and wrong.
Outcome collage wasn’t the way forward (I didn’t enjoy the feel of it nor the result) but I fell in love with charcoal.
Sketchbooking Scribbles
Collage Experiment - Yuk
How to show the history
Paper Trials - Stoneywood Mill est 1770. Feeling the history through the paper
First 'ghost' lines
Colour Palette - Muted Tones using yellow ochre, burnt umber, paynes grey and aged bronze - not my usual mix but fascinating how many colours you can make
The Picts
The history led me to explore the Picts (people of this region from the 4th - 9th centuries) and their artistic influences. For me all of this adds to the weight of history that these buildings hold and thanks to Jon Boorland of the Pictish Arts Society for some great information.
(image symbol play)
Trialling pictish symbol use
Evolutions
Basic Building - no 'ghost lines'
Ghost Line Experiment No 1
Ghost Line Experiment No 2
Ghost Line Experiment No 3
Ghost Line Experiment No 4
Ghost Line Success!