Good Foundations

I use this blog to talk about my creative practise, ideas and what I’m up to in the forge. This post might cover some of the aspects that I have spoken about in other post so sorry if I repeat myself. I also like to cover some of the criteria on the course and show how it helps to develop my work. One aspect of the course asks us to describe the designing and making process and show how we arrive, develop and understand our ideas. This is one of the reasons I keep a blog. We are expected to show how we develop ideas in several ways visual and written. Visual is broken down into two categories first and second; first is images that I have taken or found that relate to real life objects i.e. sculptures by Richard Serra and secondary is images that are the ideas of others so one of Richard Serra’s drawings for example. The written aspect should cover our ideas and thoughts on both the collected imagery and also my ideas and feelings about what I’m designing and then hope to go on to make.



A lot of the imagery that I use comes from my back ground as an engineer and working with large plant equipment. Ultimately my choices and ideas are based on this and I find aspects of lots of engineering interesting and inspiring. So the next couple of posts are about what inspires me and why I like it. These images and ideas even directly affect the way in which I chose to work.


Verticals for railings Takeda

My most recent pieces from the lamps that I made at the start of the year to the sculpture that I’m planning to have finished in the next 8weeks have all been inspired buy my love of all things engineered. I have also found a book called the Blacksmith’s Manual Illustrated written by J.W.Lillico which describes industrial and engineering styles of forging. This book has also drastically affected the way in which I am choosing to design and make. I have also been looking at makers like Andy Rowe and Alan Evans for inspiration. The scale of their work and the way in which they work are also very exciting. The next couple of images show where I took inspiration for the sculpture that I will be making on my return to college “Rashomon”. A lot of the images I have collected are of piling and drilling rigs. I like these images mostly for the disproportion in size between mast and body but there seeming capability and strength. They have a deceptively heavy body with an abnormally long appendage called a mast which looks like it should make the whole rig fall over.


Drawings for Rashomon

Piling and drilling rigs are the muscle of most building sites. They are used to drive cleats deep into the ground and compact the earth around the cleat making a strong footing where conventional foundations are inadequate. This display of strength and competent ability is a direct example of engineering at its finest. It shows that well designed products that use materials correctly can turn brute strength into elegant beauty. An opposing presents through ability not size. This is the reason why I have chosen to use such imagery, I want my sculpture to look imposing and strong but question our ideas of what strength is.


More images of my railings examples of how I'm choosing to work hole and set down are all done under a power hammer.