www.dawltonbarn.co.uk

www.dawltonbarn.co.uk

Sunday, 14 November 2010

Inspired and Informed



I have just spent 7 days and long nights (between 2 and 4 hours of daylight) at sea from Kirekness on the Russian Norwegian border along the coastal route on the working ship Ms Nordstjernen within the Hurtegruten line.

An opportunity to be surrounded by amazing scenary, passage on a form of travel from a bygone day (our boat was from the 1950's) and soak up the breadth of the experience through every sense and ones intellect.

The colours, the scale, form and marks within the landscape were fuel to an ideas stove that will forge new marks upon my surfaces in good time. Images captured digitally and sketched will be reflected upon in the studio over coming weeks. Along with a new insight into my process generously offered by a fellow traveller.

A chance conversation onboard ship, with a chap who turned out to be a colour chemist of some note. He put the stripes in a famous toothpaste and the green mint bubbles in a chocolate bar. I gained some valuable information from the science and chemical and molecular theory behind how I work with ink on and within the gesso surfaces and how/why casein from milk seals and polishes the work.

On the back of the ship, in a lounge befitting an episode of Poirot, I received a chemistry lesson and instructions on creating new surfaces that will offer greater potential for the marks I make to penetrate the surface on a physically deeper, chemical level. This is incredibly exciting and will really push the rationale for my work with a rigorous scientific research enquiry.

Calling other colour chemists and artists interested in opening a dialogue. Get in touch!

Thank you to Malcolm, I never got your surname, but if you read this your passion for your subject was appreciated.

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