Most of my time at home is spent in one of two places. Either in the conservatory (where my books and computer reside), or in my bedroom where my TV shares it’s list of films (along with Xbox games too).
One of my main dislikes about the conservatory is also my greatest loves for it. I despise the natural light when the strength of its shine changes — the clouds create a shade and make everything darker, only to move on and leave me blinded as the brightness returns. This makes it especially hard to read as my eyes must keep adjusting. But there is one huge benefit to this room of windows.
Since I live on a hill, there isn’t much blocking my view north towards Manchester and also the Yorkshire Dales a ‘little’ further. Nothing beats getting inspiration than from a little daydreaming, and the best daydreams come from looking at nature. I guess a reason for why I love clouds. Turns out not a lot shares the contrast of Marmite, I love and hate a lot of things and I’m sure you do too — clouds aren’t the start or the end, their just another in the pile, but today I do love them.
Each year my dear old Grandad hosts a stall at the Cats Protection Family Fun Day in Torkington Park. He’s been using the same hand written signs for the past few years, but unfortunately last year they got destroyed in the rain. Hence, he came to his favourite designer Grandson in search of some sign refurbishment.
Sadly I don’t have any images of the old signs but I certainly do of my new ones.
My Grandad is really pleased with the end results.
The fun day runs on the 7th of August this year, so if you’re close to Hazel Grove and need a day out…
Produce a series of 8 photographs in response to a chapter, “26 April 1905″, from Alan Lightman’s book ‘Einstein’s Dreams’.
A quote from this chapter: ‘In this world, it is instantly obvious that something is odd. No houses can be seen in the valleys or plains. Everyone lives in the mountains.’ (lightman, p28)
Lightman tells us about a world where people built their homes on stilts in the mountains, for the further they are from the earth the longer they would live.
The reasoning behind my images is that I felt that the chapter had a great interest in height and age. I decided that trees were a perfect example in both subjects. Each photograph has been taken to accentuate the height of nature and to give the impression that each tree is looking over you, possibly even thinking that you are ‘spent, weak and shortsighted’.
I tried to capture the age of the trees through their bark. Seeing each crease as a wrinkle and each tear a scar, I witnessed the similarities between their skin and ours.
If we were as tall as them, it may be possible we would live just as long.
I highly recommend this book, it can be found here.
This is my current selection of design books, minus a few that are on vacation. Okay, so my books aren’t stored across my back garden. But they do look quite proud standing there.
At the top of the page, I’ve added a “bookcase” link which shall take you to my virtual library. The plan is to share my two cents on all the books with the possibility of receiving some recommendations for future reading. Hopefully, you may even find some for yourself too.
Keeping along the printing lines, this is one of the first screen printing videos I watched.
In my first year, as a class, we designed a book of type design. We each had our own typeface and we’re asked to create a double page spread to be placed in the book. My face was FF Dax by Hans Reichel.
On a personal scale I plan to remake my spread along with a collection for other typefaces and screen print them into a concertina bound book to be part of my portfolio and a leave behind when I go to visits.
There will be more screen printing clips to come, and maybe some letterpress too.
