VSM 9/5 - PREP DRAWING

VSM 9/5 - iPod drawing 2012

More prep for the paintings.  It will be great to finally get these into oils and create some texture to them.

CELL ART WORKSHOP - WITH JO BERRY AND BERNIE RUTTER

I had seen Jo Berry's fascinating exhibition 'Hijacking Natural Systems' at Derby Art Gallery and Museum last summer so was very much looking forward to seeing it again at Lakeside, Nottingham University this month.  Her collaborative work with scientists at QMC resulted in a series of digital drawings and laser cut light boxes based upon her time researching a 'hunger' hormone and the effect it has on the body's cells.


It was with great enthusiasm that I went along to Jo Berry and Bernie Rutter's 'Cell Art' workshop on 26th February and spent a whole day looking at creating cell animations, digital drawings, projected coloured OHP pieces and paint and ink works. Alongside this, Jo gave and in-depth tour of her work explaining her process and her experience working in the labs alongside scientists.


It was an intense, enjoyable day and it was also great to catch up with fellow visual artist Jane Pepper.

CELL ART WORKSHOP OHP PROJECTION - Pauline Woolley - photograph by Jane Pepper

Injected with inspiration, and by using some of the coloured acetate pieces I made at the workshop I have created a new Vita Su Marte/Mars Canal work.

Vita Su Marte 3 - digital painting, acetate and ink - Pauline Woolley 2010

POLAR MARS 3

Polar Mars 3 - ipod drawing 2011

MORE IPOD DRAWINGS

Polar Mars 1 - ipod drawing 2011

Polar Mars 2 - ipod drawing 2011

I have a definite urge be taking these into actual paint on canvas very shortly.  I am now wanting to start feeling the reactions of paint again and to be scaling the images up.

MARS CANAL - ANOTHER IPOD DRAWING

Untitled - iPod drawing 2011

Another work from the iPod.  This is working alongside some canvases I have started in the studio

SEISMIC AND MARS CANAL MONO PRINTS

mono printing - studio shot

mono printing seismic scan

mono prints with iPod drawing

With evidence this week that Iceland's most famous volcano Katla is experiencing frequent tremors, I thought it would be good time to post some of the mono printing I did last month based on seismic data.  Katla sits under the Mýrdalsjökull glacier and last erupted in 1918 and caused such a large volcanic ash cloud that crops failed and starvation occurred.  The eruption was recorded to have lasted a month and evidence suggests that it even caused gas poisoning in parts of the UK.


Preferring to work on a couple different series of work at a time, I also produced some mono prints relating to my Mars Canal ideas during the same studio visit.

mars canal mono prints

seismic and mars canal prints

NEW iPOD DRAWING

mars grid 1 - ipod drawing - 2011

mars grid 2 - ipod drawing - 2011

mars pole grid 1 - ipod drawing - 2011

The imported gridded background is helping to keep the similarity with my previous hand drawings that I produced earlier this year.  These drawings are helping me to realise in my mind what they may look like on canvas.  My plan is to continue with these drawings throughout the winter months with the intention of starting the paintings spring next year.  Along side these paintings with be one or two larger scale drawings.  The pole grid is a newer  idea that has filtered into the work.

iPOD Drawings - more studies

Whilst away in Santorini, Greece, and very much inspired by the Mars like appearance of it's volcano and certain areas of the island, I was able to do some more small studies for the Mars Canal series on my iPod.

Interestingly I have begun to add a little colour into these small sketches and I think this is due to the ability of testing ideas with knowing I can instantly erase.  It's far cheaper than scrapping off tubes of oil paint from canvas.

Mars Study 1 - 2011

Mars Study 2 - 2011

Mars Study 3 - 2011

Mars Study 4 - 2011

iPod Drawing - testing the idea

Seeing myself as a painter, I often struggle with my keen interest in new technology and using it  to make art.  I guess I have always felt that it somehow becomes a middle man for the final artefact and reduces that "hand-made" quality.  However, the more I run from it, the more it draws me in.  Earlier this month I attended an iPad Conference at the E-Learning Centre in Nottingham. One workshop I attended was run by artist Mik Godley who at the moment is pushing his own painting practice by producing work on an iPad. Click on his name to go to his blog.


Resisting the temptation to purchase one at the present moment, I have been doing some basic drawings on my iPod Touch using Adobe Ideas, Brushes and Sketchbook Mobile apps and a stylus.  It's early days, but I am enjoying the challenge of working on a small screen with basic tools.

I am intending that it will form part of the Mars Canal series.

iPod drawing Mars Canal series 2011

MARS CANALS

Back in 2010 I began a series of work created from two areas of interest: the lyrics from Jeff Wayne’s musical version of War Of The Worlds and Astronomer Percival Lowell’s misinterpretation of Astronomer Giovanni Schiaperelli's 19t Century observations of the Martian canals or 'canali'


Below are some research images.  I found a very interesting blog with lots of maps and illustrations. http://bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/2008/04/channelling-martian-maps.html

Mars Canal depicted by Percival Lowell

Image either Lowell or Schiaparelli

Mars Map 1890 Giovanni Schiaparelli

The initial pieces of work were show in the show 4 CAN + 2 at the Surface Gallery in Nottingham in February 2011.

Across Two Hundred Million Miles Of Void - ink on paper

Invisibly Hurtling - ink on paper 

Midnight On The Twelfth Of August - ink on paper

Ulla 2 - digital print

Ulla 1 - digital print

exhibition shot

exhibition shot

My next stage of development is to read 'Mapping Mars: Science, Imagination and the birth of a World in conjunction with photographing the volcanic island of Santorini this summer.  It's rich red soil is very Mars like.