Even More Space in the Garden

Posted on December 13, 2024 by iansblog

Another New Studio

This is a very late blog recording November’s activity because I’ve been suffering from seasonal rubbish. Sometimes you reach what you think is the end of something and find yourself struggling to move past that point and that’s where I’ve been. When in this state every distraction is grasped with alacrity and time that should have been spent resolving things disappears.

I did manage to complete an application for funding from Immersive Arts and will find out if I’m successful in February,

Flowers 10 01/11/24

At the start of the month I began a new drawing, Flowers_10, and prepped the boards for a couple more. At that point the other artists in the building were considering an open day before Christmas and I was hopeful of joining in.

Subsequently the Romanian elections taking place in the building stymied us and, as they were going to use three consecutive weekends, we were unable to progress. We’re now thinking of an exhibition in the Spring.

Flowers 9 01/11/24

Flowers 1,2,3 and 4 01/11/24 backview

I finished the second drawing of the existing set up with ‘Flowers 1,2,3, &4’ and then got the opportunity to get some more free material to help complete the piece.

Studio 04/11/24

This meant I had to move everything around so that I could see what I was doing. Never mind space in the garden I need more space in the studio.

Storage Space 04/11/24

I moved my projection booth towards the door so that I could make a storage space against the wall.

When I was finished I started the 6^th November with this setup.

Studio 06/11/24

Flowers_10 06/11/24

Flowers 11 06/11/24

Between the first and the sixth of the month I made these two drawings, Flowers_10 and Flowers_11 towards the ‘Woolgathering’ project. ‘Woolgathering’ has grown out of the exploration of space in the garden.

Studio at the end of 06/11/24

At the end of the day the studio looked like this.

Thereafter I worked to make the pieces I needed to finish the layout of the flower bed for that piece. First cutting the flowers for the end bed, ‘Flowers_5’.

Cut outs for Flowers 5

Then painting them.

Painted Cut outs for Flowers 5

It occurs to me now that I may need a new naming convention for the 3d pieces.

At this time I also painted ‘Flowers_4’ (3D)

Flowers 4 painted 13/11/24

I built the new bases I needed to complete the flower bed.

Bases for Flower Bed

And then assembled ‘Flowers_5’

Flowers 5 view

Flowers 5 (3d) close up

After this I caught up with some framing as I was still hopeful of the Open Day.

Framed Pictures 13/11/24

The smaller frames are quite effective but I had to break down some of the drawings to make them.

I made ‘Flowers_6’ and painted it

Flowers 6 (3d) before painting

after which I made ‘Flowers_7’ and ‘Flowers_8’

‘Woolgathering’ 27/11/24

At the end of the month I built a stand to raise the piece off the floor.

Drawing

I’ve continued to draw every day;

The November drawings can be seen here

Draw Every Day – November 24

Draw Every Day - November 24 Continuing to draw every day in book 20 (a larger sketchbook) ...
See photo »

…and the October images here

Draw Every Day – October 24

Draw Every Day - October 24 Continuing to draw every day, began book 20 (a larger ...
See photo »

There is a link to the previous month’s Gallery on each page.

The drawings are posted to Instagram each day.

Some Space in the Garden

Posted on November 9, 2024 by iansblog

Some Space in the Garden

Another New Studio

I made a trial VR space for the Woolgathering project. The close up fllower bed will be sited in the full garden and accessedby proximity as the player progresses towards the top of the garden. Wandering through the flower bed will eventually lead the player back to the normal scale garden.

I also made a 360 video version of the real flower bed to use juxtaposed with the sculpted environment. You can watch the video on Vimeo here.

I spent the rest of the month working on two big drawings of the four sculptures.

woolgathering view 18 10 2024

This is a big drawing done in pastels and water based media.

woolgathering flowers 1234 04102024

The final orientation of each piece will depend on the display environment.

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blog_woolgathering_detail_b_181024

blog_woolgathering_detail_c_181024

blog_woolgathering_detail_d_181024

blog_woolgathering_detail_e_181024

blog_woolgathering_detail_f_181024

The pastels are varnished to keep the colours strong and the texture can be seen moire clearly in the details.

blog_woolgathering_new_view_181024

Drawing

I’ve continued to draw every day;

The October drawings can be seen here

Draw Every Day – October 24

Draw Every Day - October 24 Continuing to draw every day, began book 20 (a larger ...
See photo »

…and the September images here

Draw Every Day - September 24 Continuing to draw every day, began book 19 on 25th August and continued using brush pens and a mixture of black, grey, sepia and sanguine ink. The drawings are made any time from 9:00 am at the breakfast table and occasionally later in the day if I'm away from home. The drawings have been posted since the beginning, 6th May 2020, on instagram https://www.instagram.com/latham_1959 You can see previous months through the galleries page https://www.ian-latham.com/blog/galleries or you can go straight to August's drawings here -

Draw Every Day – August 24

Draw Every Day - August 24 Continuing to draw every day, finished book 18 on 24th August and ...
See photo »

There is a link to the previous month’s Gallery on each page.

The drawings are posted to Instagram each day.

Centre Apple Tree

Posted on July 1, 2024 by iansblog

Centre Apple Tree

Another New Studio

I just completed the Contemporary Art Academy PG1 course with a session where the participants delivered an ‘elevator pitch’ summing up our practice using the insight gained from the course. This is obviously really difficult because it is hard to articulate in the first place and remains hard in the final analysis.

I said something like “My name is Ian Latham and I build mixed reality installations. These involve physical sculptures alongside virtual environments (worlds). I use found and reclaimed materials, branches, scaffold planks, insulation foam etc., to build objects and structures based on my suburban garden. The virtual worlds that work alongside these explore the process of creation using LiDAR scans of the sculptures at various stages of their creation. The juxtaposition of these objects with representations of the garden IRL suggest the process of growth that I’m exploring.”

There were lots of hhms and aahs along the way, a few digressions and an element of self deprecation that was described to me as apologetic. All in all it was a great experience, it’s good to meet a group of peers and discuss the work rather than the life of being an artist.

I made this video for the presentation but in the end didn’t use it as we were trying to present ourselves as if we encountered someone while networking.

Red Garden Six

Since the last post I finished Red Garden Six with the addition of the red tree in the foreground.

Red Garden Seven 07 06 2024

Red Garden Seven 10 06 2024

I also took Red Garden Seven through two more stages. I’m not entirely convinced by either of them but I am persuaded there is nothing more I can do with either.

Two Red Trees – Pear and Apple 17 06 2024

I continued to work on the “Three Trees version Two” but it morphed into the “Two Red Trees – Pear and Apple” that will sit at the entrance to the virtual exhibition, and the physical one come to that.

Two Red Trees – Pear and Apple

The exhibition will have “Two Red Trees – Pear and Apple” at or just past the entrance, a new piece “Centre Apple Tree” in the centre of the quincunx and the first version of “Three Red Trees” at the top left and the “Dancing Partners” at top right. The various drawings may be displayed alongside although part of me thinks they’ll be separate.

Two Red Trees – Pear and Apple – Detail

Centre Apple Tree

I spent the back end of the month building the new “Centre Apple Tree”

And drawing it.

We had an unusual spell of good weather, for June, as well so I did some drawing in the garden.

Climbing rose 21 06 2024

Garden 26 06 2024

Hydrangea 26 06 2024

Drawing

I’ve continued to draw every day;

The June drawings can be seen here

Draw Every Day – June 24

Draw Every Day - June 24 Continuing to draw every day, in book 17 using brush pens and a ...
See photo »

…and the May images here

Draw Every Day - May 24 Continuing to draw every day, finished the 16th sketchbook on the 26th May, after drawing with a set of watercolour pencils since the 12th April. The 16th sketchbook covered the fourth anniversary of daily drawing, on the 6th, and ends with the 1,481st consecutive drawing. Started book 17 using brush pens and a mixture of black, grey, sepia and sanguine ink. The drawings are made any time from 9:00 am at the breakfast table and occasionally later in the day if I'm away from home. The drawings have been posted since the beginning, 6th May 2020, on instagram https://www.instagram.com/latham_1959 You can see previous months through the galleries page https://www.ian-latham.com/blog/galleries or you can go straight to April's drawings here -

Draw Every Day – April 24

Draw Every Day - April 24 Continuing to draw every day, finished the 15th sketchbook on the ...
See photo »

There is a link to the previous month’s Gallery on each page.

The drawings are posted to Threads and Instagram each day.

ian-latham.com

Paintings and Sculpture – Drawing – 3d modelling and virtual environments

Tag Archives: Installation

Even More Space in the Garden

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