#radius project

Radius Project Part 3!

The three images are all David Nash's artwork!!

I investigated the artist David Nash to help build my final piece. He sculpts with wood, and I found his layering methods really interesting, so I attempted to use the same method to create the beehive at the bottom of my piece. He also carved into pieces of wood to create a hollow effect, which I experimented with for the middle of the piece.

My finished Radius project. I decided I was most interested in looking at the birds I saw in the city for my project. My group walked around St Mary's Cathedral and Arthur's Quay which gave me a lot inspiration for my scenery, between the church, trees and river. While we were exploring I observed pigeons, crows and seagulls, so I decided to include a few of each in my image. Where possible, I used photographs and first hand observation as reference for my drawings, but I only found so much to work with, so for the rest I used whatever knowledge I had of the birds' body structure and movement.

In the paper image I used marker for the outlines, pastel for the grass and trees, and acrylic paint for the water and church windows. I was a bit conflicted about whether to work in 2D or 3D. At first, I tried to put together a standing cardboard tree, which didn't go so well. As I experimented, I was interested in putting together a 3D piece with cardboard models and flat characters, but in the end I was too anxious to put a model together, so I resolved to focus on a 2D image while incorporating 3D through cardboard pieces I stuck on.

arthur's quay (park)

inspiration photos:

(1/10/23 - 5/10/23)

Final Work, Part 2

Last but least, the other half of my final work. I used both acrylic and gouache paint on two, contrasting paper textures to bring my skater-pigeons to life. The idea was to make two humanised pigeons that perfectly slot together, to mimic how flocks of pigeons and groups of people also stick together.

I went with a hot and cold colour scheme and square shapes to make a stronger impression. Overall, I’m really happy with how this project turned out.

I started on the right page on the 16th when we first visited our radius area. Sketching on site in front of the fountain and later finishing it in the college from photos taken from the same view.

I spread it across both pages in order to properly fit my subject in proper proportion. It was nice to incorporate this and then used the remaining space on the left to sketch the view of King John's Castle, Thomond Bridge and the space left where the old mill used to be.

This morning I didn't know what I wanted to do for my project, but then I looked at what I had done on Tuesday and I really liked the flowers. To try something a bit different I thought I could try to do something in 3D instead of painting or drawing.

After thinking about it I decided I wanted to go for fabric. I don't often use fabric except for sewing clothes, so it was fun to try something new.

In the studio Mairead Neill helped me through the process. I began with the fabric. I had an idea of what I wanted, but not something really precise. When I found the fabrics I liked I then searched for some videos to see what I could do, and after choosing the flower I wanted to make, I first sketched the process in my notebook, so it would be easier to follow later and find it later. After that, I just went for it, cut the fabric and sewed it.

Poster progression for radius project. I chose to use a huge page, charcoal and watered down acrylic paint to just get an idea down. I wanted to focus on what's probably a regular scene at the bridge: people of all ages existing together. But I wanted to give each character a different medium or "style".