Unit 1 process and materials

Investigating materials, unit one

I have tried to keep a record as I have explored a variety of materials and some processes. It has been a slow process, as I've found that Ive been doing a lot of thinking and reading and not as much making as I would like and, more importantly, I've not been too sure which directions to go down so I haven't made use of the workshops at college to try and build on skills. I hope to have a clearer sense of direction at the end of this unit. I am aware that I have a tendency to sort of put things together in an improvised, temporary way, rather than finding more appropriate, purposeful ways to make things so I hope to try and work on this...

At this stage, I was working with papier mache on cardboard boxes and then painting and collaging the surface. Looking at this now, I can see that I was repeating what I had been doing with paintings I made previously, I needed to know what colours I want to use and also what kind of marks I was making , especially in relation to my investigation of empty industrial buildings and building sites. I then made a piece layering papier mache over a metal grid. I then again repeated myself with the painting, too blobby ! and also still somehow stuck with the same motifs. I subsequently painted over this and now am keeping the underside where I lifted it off the grid and it had made a faint rusty mark inlaid in the paper. If I'm investigating materials I need to find a way to work with them as if they are the subject ?

I tried casting found objects in cement using some foil trays as moulds. they worked well, however I think cement will be too heavy to take by train up to college.I like the colours of he plastic lids.