09 September 16

A-N Development Bursary – In A Big Nutshell

Turns out I'm not very good at keeping Blogs (need to work on that)....But I do take pictures!

I specialises in kiln formed glass, creating sculptures for private and corporate commissions, artist residencies and create site-specific installations.

http://www.axisweb.org/p/rachelgrettonglass/

Or I did, until I had three children, PND x 3 and started another business. So this year I decided it was time to start again. My last solo show was in 2007 with ‘Little Black Book’. My next solo show is in 2018 and so the development begins!

It is language, discourse and the process of negotiating meaning and truth, which informs my work. The act of penetrating glass forms with fragments of text is literally and metaphorically an act of vitrification, transforming the everyday speech that passes between us.

I view my work an emotional journey and endeavour to define an aspect of self-presence in my pieces, an ambitious challenge but one, which distinguishes my work from the purely decorative kiln glass artists. Text is used as decoration, to both disguise and articulate the glass forms, but it also enables the work to speak of issues beyond the purely aesthetic.

I am developing a new body of work reflecting on relationships, communication and the use of language both spoken and unspoken. I am interested in exploring the use of projection, reflection, light and shadow to echo intense experiences reflecting on personal relationships and living with PND: the untouchable emotions, celebrating the comfortable silence and expressing the mental chaos.

In previous work the font for my text was very plain, bold and no punctuation or spaces. This was to remove any emotion attached to the work and also make it difficult for the viewer to read. In fact, I hate the thought of someone actually spending the time to try and read my deepest darkest thoughts. Now, I am looking back on my experience with PND and dealing with the thoughts and emotions. I am finding my own handwriting has become the main focus in the work and I am now developing new skills to be able to write with glass.

The A-N Development Bursary and AA2A Scheme at Sunderland University has allowed me to explore new technologies and processes in glass to help realise my goals.

http://aa2a.biz/pg/profile/rachel15

I worked with artist Zoe Garner at the National Glass Centre learning the very difficult technique of lampworking.

I also worked with Balin Design to develop skills with 3D modelling programs. Learning to turn my sketches into 3D models and then apply this to laser cutting and waterjet cutting.

Using my CAD sketches lead to the next phase of development with York College experimenting using the 3D printing equipment. This is an area I am keen to develop further and I am looking into further funding to allow this.

I will focus on each area of my development in future blogs. But for now my development work is in exhibition at Hartlepool Art Gallery until the 30th September 2016.

 

 

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28 December 16

Reflection, development and future plans

This year has been wonderful for personal development, business progress with BloomInArt, funding applications, collaborations and involvement within the local community.

I struggle to blog but I have attached a few images to visually tell the story of my development this year.

Working freelance, co-directing a small arts organisation and having small children takes up all my time. It is daunting going into a new year with a million creative ideas but no solid projects in place and  therefore no income is guaranteed. I have come to accept this is the way an artist life is. This year however, I exceeded all my expectations and on reflection have taken a big step forward, if you build it they will come!

The year began in a panic, questioning if BloomInArt should continue another year and my personal work was non existent. But the only way to make a change is to apply yourself and make it happen. I will take this mind set on again as 2017 begins.

So applying for artists briefs and creating ideas for our own arts projects began allowing our local community to engage with the arts and inspiring creativity. With a-n Bursary my personal work developed and my confidence to apply for exhibitions returned.

‘Cracks Of Love’ is my new body of work. This is still in development. Focusing on relationships, communication and the use of language both spoken and unspoken. Echoing intense experiences reflecting on personal relationships: the untouchable emotions, celebrating the comfortable silence and expressing the mental chaos. I am interested in the ‘ways that we make and remake ourselves by creating objects out of our lived experience’, writing to heal and turning scribbles, thoughts and nonsense into pieces of sculpture, as a way of escaping and taking control of the moment. I am addressing a part of my life though my work and I aim to raise awareness of PND, anxiety and depression.

I wish to continue my development with 3D modelling, 3D printing, Waterjet cutting and lampworking. These are skills that take time and patience to master. I have made contact with York College who have the equipment and expertise to further both CAD design and 3D printing. They have agreed this residency could be possible if I find ways to cover my costs and also share my skills with their Degree students.

In 2017 I aim to consolidate current ideas and build on existing work, develop technical skills, explore new collaborations and contexts and expand my creative network.

BloomInArt secured funding for several small projects and two major projects in 2016. Price of Place and Wintertide Festival collectively allowed 200 young people to partake in a creative project, develop skills in specialist art forms and achieve their arts award. Wintertide Festival, a local arts, music and film festival brought the visual arts to the streets of the Hartlepool Headland showcasing local creative talent and highlighting the story of this historical town. We are excited to build and develop this project year on year.

Please see the links for Facebook below to follow progress, this is where you will find more images and information which are uploaded on a regular basis.

https://www.facebook.com/bloominart/

https://www.facebook.com/RachelGrettonGlass/

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16 October 16

CAD and 3D Printing

 

I ain’t no blogger it turns out. I do sketch and I scribble thoughts and this is what I wanted to transform into forms which I can not create by hand! I want to create casts within casts, writing within forms suspended and untouchable (technically a bouillon form).

Through my development bursary I wanted to develop skills in a suitable process, combining new technologies and traditional techniques, 3D printing and casting glass.
However, it also turns out I am not a natural at the technology side, it intrigues and baffles me! This will take some time to master.

Thanks to Balin Design, a trusted friend and master of CAD and 3D modelling I was able to begin my journey, learning the basics is one thing but my concepts and ideas for my pieces are beyond my abilities….at the moment!

Using sketch up pro, learning basic commands, making shapes, extruding, making groups, explode, select, rotate, create segments, sandbox, shell, smooth. All my notes are there…but will it still be in my head?

This is still the beginning of my development, the bursary scratched the surface of my training, thanks to the help of York College (where I previously studied) a conversation and possibility of skill sharing may be the next step to continue.

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