Wednesday 20th March

AM - a seminar about writing a personal statement for our individual work at the botanical gardens. How we want the viewer to read it i.e. first, second or third person. Whether we want it to be personal or academic. We will write this within 100 words which will give each person the chance of putting one sentence into a collaborative statement with the guidance of Joe and Liz.
While enamelling this afternoon we produced another 3 labels. I used a book binding awl which was really sharp so it enabled me to get a really fine line. I created a first layer by scratching into all 3 ready to work back over them on Friday.

PM - a group meeting for the botanical gardens was held to discuss the work being placed in the middle room. Megan and Danielle are looking into advertisements and printing onto newsprint giving an old, used look. They were thinking of either etching or screen printing. They would be advertising a treatment or cure for an illness with illustrations, looking at the funnier side of remedies. Tony will be making a fan book of sketches using some handmade paper, sketches of plants and herbs that were used for medicines, possibly in the shape of the labels that we will be enamelling. Siony wanted to make some bottles using glass slip, but she will not have enough time to do that anymore. She then thought about using clay slip or enamel to produce a half bottle shape in some moulds she had made. As this was impractical given the time we had left and the time it would take to produce, we suggested she carried on making some textile pieces that she had experimented with before. She had sewn black thread it to a canvas of a plant. We suggested to her that she produced some miniature ones of these onto some canvas and paper to show Cath on Friday, so she could give her opinion and then Siony could continue over the weekend ready to show on Monday as finished work. So now everyone is clear what themselves and everyone else are doing.

First enamel workshop Tuesday 19th March

At 11:00AM this morning we found out we would be beginning to enamel today. We then spent 2 hours gathering drawings and images from books to work from. I was eager to start learning the process as this would then help me to decide upon my imagery and the types of techniques I could use to push the process to its limits. 
These were our label deisgn with the holes punched through them, this label has been sand blasted as a key for the enamel to stick to, once the black enamel has dried after being coated onto the label it goes into the kiln for 1-3 minutes between 780-840 degrees. It then comes out a shiny black. We wait for it to cool then coat it in white. Once the white has dried we can then scratch into it with a pin, nail, compass or scalpel revealing the black underneath. Once you have completed the drawing on this layer, it goes back into the kiln for another 2-3 minutes. Once this is cooled you sand back the gloss with a metal grater-like sander. You must do this over water so your plate is wet and you do not breathe in the dust particles as they are glass. This then gives you a matt finish to enable you to draw back into your layers. You can repeat this process as many times as you wish, painting back into it with the black and white enamel. 

Scratching into the white

Adding layers of enamel and white

Drawing over with pencil

Research Elizabeth Turrell

http://www.uwe.ac.uk/sca/research/cfpr/research/enamel/Artists/Dali_Behennah/D_Behennah.html

 Whilst doing some research on Elizabeth Turrell ready for our workshop with her tomorrow, I came across this work that she had collaborated with Dail Behenah. It is very similar to what we are doing. 

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Labelled

CFPR CONSULTATION FUNDED BY PLYMOUTH CITY MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY COMMISSION
COLLABORATORS: Dail Behennah and Elizabeth Turrell
DATE: 2009

Monday 18th March

We had a meeting at 12:30pm today to discuss and create an image to send to Bruce that he could use for the publicity for our event. Cath didn't think that Megan or Jenny's imagery was appropriate for 'Medicines in May' but she liked my idea of using the maps. She wanted me to go away and collect some maps from Google Maps, of the surrounding area of the Botanical Gardens to show its location. I then found some images of plants on Google and drew from them with the roots and stems following the lines of the map. I used a fine liner pen to create the delicacy of the lines. 

Sunday 17th March

I began my sketches today for what my ideas for the labels were. I wanted to link it into my creative project so I could use it towards my final mark. I found some beautiful drawings by Michael Landy that looked so delicate. I thought about how I could introduce delicate lines into my drawings of flowers, then thought about using maps to follow the lines for the roots and stems. 
To experiment with different processes I tried layering drawings and handwritten text explaining what the plant cured and how to use it. 
For the enamelling workshop on wednesday with Elizabeth Turrell we will need to prepare 20 different plant imagery to use.
I will research 20 different herbal plants and draw from images I find from books and the internet as my source material. 

Tuesday 5th March 2013

Final size, shape and quantity of labels

Cath came to us today wanting to discuss the steel we would use for our labels as she was in the middle of getting quotes as to get the best price. She wanted to know what size sheet we would need as to how many labels we wanted. To get a good installation we would need lots of labels, possibly around 100-150. The size of a sheet of steel was 8x4 Ft. We didn't want our label size to be too small or too big. We quickly folded up a sheet of A4 paper and found that we could get exactly 6 from 1 A4 sheet which would be a size of 7x15cm. We divided all that up and we could get 200 labels from one sheet of steel that would cost us between £200 and £250. We went for our second label choice to keep our costs really low as the steel was quite expensive and had taken over half our budget. 

To know exactly what our installation would look like, we made up a maket of 200 labels from paper and black thread tied on to some batons of wood. We varied the length between long and short as we had discussed in previous meetings. It was good to finally get the whole group involved in making something positive for our collaborative exhibition. 

At first we hung them all together in one big bunch but it wouldn't work too well as you wouldn't be able to see what was on any of the labels after all our hard work drawing on them. We spread them out more to cover a larger area and they looked much better. We might propose for the viewer to walk in between our labels, whether or not the botanics will allow this for health and safety reasons. We will also have to discuss whether we can have the labels at eye/head level as the corners will be sharp. 

Tuesday 19th February 2013

Morning discussion 

Today was the day to bring all our ideas and visuals to the table so that everyone had a clear view of what the individual ideas were. I thought about having a variation of some big and some small labels so that the viewer would have to get up close to see what the text on the label says. 

 We had all decided that we wanted our labels to be this nice design cut with a old style pattern on top, cut in the same shape as a luggage label. If it was too expensive or we were unable to get our labels cut into that shape then our second choice was to have them cut with straight lines. This would keep our costs to a minimum. 
My idea for what was to be put onto the labels, was a drawing of the plant/flower/herb on one side then text with its name and a description of how to use it so solve your symptoms on the back.
I want them to hang so that they over lap each other. This means that the viewer has to get close to see each different label. I also want them hanging at different lengths to give a sense of filling a space so people can walk around them and possibly walk through them. 
I saw some of Megan's sketches of her idea. Drawing small pictures of animals that were said to help cure people. I thought these worked really well.
 This morning Cath had brought in some of her enamel work to show us what we could do within the enamelling process. This was the first time we had seen any work since we heard about the process, but we instantly made a decision we wanted to use it. We thought about using copper too but it was too expensive, so we are going to stick to steel. Cath had made some enamel books made from steel, and there was so much detail that I didn't think you could get. 
We found out that we can only use one side of our steel as we don't have enough time to prepare and work on both, so I will layer my drawings and text to get all the information I want. 
We also told Cath that we wanted our one colour that she was going to buy to be sepia. She was going to buy that along with our steel today. 
Cath found out today that the college scaffolding was unsafe to use so we couldn't take it to put up our show in the Botanical Gardens. She was going to see if she could borrow some from a friend but only she would be able to climb that for health and safety reasons. If she was unable to borrow any we would have to pay to hire some for two days while we put up and take down our show which would use up the rest of our budget. Sammy, Jenny and I will have to come up with a possible back up plan if we cannot hang our installation. 
We are still waiting to hear about and see ideas form Tony, Tam and Siony as it is a collaborative exhibition so we need to make sure it all fits and flows together. 

Friday 8th February 2013 Library

Friday morning trip to Trinity library with Joe & Liz

This morning Sammi, Jenny, Megan and I met up with Joe and Liz to go the library to get some ideas for our installation, and what we wanted to achieve from some of the books. We had decided to ask Joe and Liz as they have much more knowledge of what books and artists to look at that would help us. We looked at Susan Hiller where she put Holy Water into bottles. Chris Burden's All the Submarines of the United States of America where lots of submarines are handing. Cornelia Parkers Cold Dark Matter- An Exploded View where the contents of a shed have been exploded but hang, and give shadows of the items all around the room. New Breed where broken large scale eggs are suspended from the ceiling and strewn on the ground.

Megan found a couple of books that would help her with her remedies and give her ideas about making some up herself. 

Sammi, Jenny and I, drew up a couple of sketches about our ideas on the label shapes and discussed the colours we wanted to use, Cath had black and white for us to use for free and suggested to keep the costs down we only choose one more colour, so we decided on sepia as it would give a vintage look.

Tuesday 5th February 2013 (PM)

Discussion in the board room with Joe & Liz

Back in college was another discussion about todays findings from the gardens. Joe and Liz wanted us to come up with a tittle for the exhibition, we all had a couple of minutes to ourselves to think of something but we couldn't think of anyhting. Then we remembered back to Margot from the library telling us about the medicines, and she had used a term called 'materia medica'. We all, except Tony decided that we wanted to use that, but as it is a collaborative exhibition we couldn't go ahead until we had Tony on board. His reasoning for not wanted to use that title was understandable but as he nor anyone else could think of anything different he gave us the go-ahead to use it. 

Jenny had decided that she wanted to join Sammi and I in the installation as she had a real interest in the old bottle labels too. Cath Fairgrieve had explained the enamelling process to us and its outcome and we instantly wanted to have that effect where we would be working onto steel plates. We could draw on them, use text and a painted technique, it gets put into the kiln for a couple of minutes and when the process is complete it looks so delicate. 

In the second room Danielle and Megan wanted to re-create old medicines into new medicines or its packaging of new medicines into the old style and showing cures for the problems. Carla will be layering up photos and producing a series of prints that will go into the cabinets. Tony, Tam and Siony's ideas are still unsure but they are coming with an idea to the table after half term where we will all discuss our ideas with visual imagery so we all clearly understand everyones plans. 

Tuesday 5th February 2013 (AM)

Morning trip to Botanical Gardens to visit their library.

During our second trip to the Gardens, we went back to the Apothecary's Hall to refresh our memory of the space available to us and for us to see how our ideas could work. We asked Bruce whether it would be possible for us to remove some equipment from the cabinets to allow our work to exhibit in there and he said that would be fine as long as we didn't move any of the glass medicine bottles. 
Sammi and I went into the third room to looked at the possibilities for our installation. We looked at the type of lights and natural light from windows as to whether we could include lighting if we wanted to create shadows or reflections. We also looked at how high the ceiling/roof was as to how it would hang, Cath suggested that we borrowed the scaffolding from college but only John, our technician or herself would be able to climb it due to health and safety. Sammi and I thought we could either hang from the metal pole, the wooden beams or place a structure from the windowledge across to the wall the other side to hang from. 
Bruce then took us up to their library for us to have a look at some of the books that people had kindly donated over the years. Margot a volunteer in the library showed us all into a room where we could sit round a table to look at some of the books that somebody had out to write a report about the plants and remedies. The books gave us an idea about the types of plants they used and what they looked liked. There was also a hand written ledger where the pharmacist would have written down who the medicine was for and what the ingredients and ratio were to make it.

On our way out Margot showed us some pressed flowers from their cupboard of DNA samples, they were so neatly arranged on the page and were beautiful. I managed to take a photo of a poster on the door which explains how they came about all these samples which I found very interesting. 

Tuesday 29th January 2013 (PM)

Discussion about morning visit to the Botanical Gardens.

Back at college we sat down to discuss what we thought of the space that had been given to us, and what we could do with it. Joe and Liz who are guiding us through and up to the exhibition wanted to know if any of us had any ideas, Sammi and I explained our idea about wanting to bring the third room to life and fill it with an installation. Both Sammi and myself had been interested in the ageing of the labels from the bottles and decided that we wanted to produce a hanging installation of labels. As this is a collaborative exhibition with everyone from our painting group; Megan, Jenny, Siony, Tam, Tony, Sammi, Danielle, Carla who is on a residency and myself, we all have to have a say in what is decided. Everyone seemed to agree with mine and Sammi's idea. Joe and Liz had suggested that we ask about emptying some of the cabinets to put our work in them as well, then the others would have somewhere to put their work. Ideas of book-making, re-creating medicine remedies, re-creating branding and packaging, making old medicines look new and new medicines look old came about. We all thought these were good and wanted to see some visuals of them. Next week on our trip to the Botanicals we will be visiting their library so we can get some ideas of plants, they're names and what they were used for to start producing visual ideas.  

Tuesday 29th January 2013 (AM)

Morning trip to The Botanical Gardens of Wales

We all had our first trip to the Botanical Gardens today to see where our exhibition is going to be held. We thought we were going to be hanging it in they're gallery but they had moved us into the Apothecary's Hall, a late 19th century pharmacy which seems to be more relevant as it is all about 'Medicines in May'. 

Bruce, who organises the medicines in May every year gave us a quick tour around the gardens so we could see the types of plants they have and to understand what they do at the gardens. 

When we got to the apothecary's hall we were all completely astounded by they're collection of medicine bottles, pharmaceutical tools and equipment. There are 3 rooms that all follow through to each other, the first room gives us an insight into medicines around the world, the second is all the medicines, poisons, pills and herbs that were used, and the third was more information about the herbs. 

Sammi and I were excited about the potential for this room as it was such a big empty space that desperately needed bringing to life. We both imagined an installation to fill the space. 

Taking lots of photos of the medicines and labels was key for me as that was where my interest lay, the oldness of the fragile bottles and explanations on the labels for me to work from back at college, to gather ideas as to what we could exhibit in these rooms.

Once we had finished looking in the Apothecary's Hall, Bruce took us over to the Great Glass House to see some of the plants that were in bloom, as during this time of year all the outside plants were non-existant. In here we took lots of photos of the plants and a couple of sketches. This also gave us some time to think about all that we had seen and what we wanted to take to put into the exhibition. I already knew that I wanted to take the old bottles and labels into consideration as that was what fascinated and interested me the most, the fact that they were so old and precious.