The last two weeks have seen me experimenting with structure and materials to try to achieve both scale and an aesthetic that feels right.

I’m still working with some initial sketches of abstracted objects stemming from the form of the heart. I’m undertaking a number of experiments on small and large scale to see what works. More importantly how a material feels and reacts when I’m using it.

The initial paper series are simple and have a pleasing haptic feel. Sprayed red they become less abstract with a more obvious connection to the original idea.

I’ve subsequently covered them in plaster and re-sprayed them. This gives a more solid feel to these hand sized objects whilst making them something else again. The plaster imposing its’ own fluidity and chaos forming a new shape and totally different object. The use of plaster, a much more traditional material, feels alien to me. It might be because I just haven’t mixed or used it for a number of years now. I suppose the question is why would I cover them in plaster? At present I don’t have an answer.

The larger piece is now feeling a bit more stable than when it started out. Currently I’m pleased with the shape the current construction of paper wire and cardboard isn’t going to withstand wind, rain, muddy fields and children. I’m wondering if the next step is to fibreglass the outside. It’s something I’ve been meaning to explore as a waterproof and more robust material.

In hindsight these last couple of weeks reflect my on going struggle and investigation into materials and making. Both the joy and the frustration of this is what it is to make art.