Letters...

Bruce,

attached is some photos I took on my day out this week, it was such a beautiful sunny day outside and my journey was brought about with thoughts of our project. I sometimes like to visit Culross; I grew up in the village next to it so I spent a lot of time playing in this tiny village. It has a history to it with abbey ruins, cobbled streets and a rugged coast line...I love the smell of the sea and I always feel at home there.

Sitting on the harbour wall I thought of the land half-cut with the sea, the tide out showing the treasures usually hidden underneath. The silent water rippling, edging closer to my feet sparkling like precious diamonds. The sun was so bright it burned my knees; hazy skies...I could sit all day. A black bird stopped by long enough for me to see. I spoke to a stranger as if he were my friend, talking about memories we held of the place we sat. Couples walk past hand in hand to the song of joyful birds. Walking upwards to the ruins where the hiding places were, I pause and remember.

As you know I have hurt my wrist...very frustrated am I! However it is giving me time for thinking and doodling (being doing this today), still working on the thoughts of containment there has been so much inspiration from your recent delivery and have started a piece called 'Room for Two' - I say started but have made a model in paper before I really move forward in metal (its the only thing my wrist can handle haha!) I have started marking my metal to make crease lines so the folds are have sharper edges rather than curved so it’s more like a box shape but had to stop but it should be finished by next week. I love how you have considered the visual aspect of your work; it’s been amazing to look and has made me smile.


Molly

Work in Progress.

With work well and truly underway I set about making my first pieces for our collaborative project and am quite happy with how things are turning out.  Whilst working today I had some easy music playing in the background...like this one

Using words and photos as your inspiration can be quite open but I have chosen to consider certain parts of the poetry and certain thoughts within my designing process.

Taken from one of my favourite poems that Bruce has sent here is some of what I have came up with...

Textured rings inspired the poem by Bruce Eunson

 A Fragment of the Valley

Enjoy!!

Take from it what you will...

Wednesday is my new day for 'Farlin Project Work' and may I just say what a productive Wednesday it has been!

Wandering thoughts over the past few weeks has set me on track for what I would like to achieve for Farlin, designing on paper was a little confusing at the start of the month so I decided to play around with metal...sampling some ideas I had in mind some of which I was happy with and others not.
 
Bruce and I have been emailing and had a skype chat recently, it was lovely chatting and it put us en route to what we would like to achieve and what our inspirations where for different parts of the project, I think we are both really looking forward to the outcome!

Reading through the poetry Bruce sent me was lovely (especially with a cup of tea) and made me think about what he was trying to portray in his work....I was a bit worried in case I read into things in a different way than what he intended but we both agreed that this was not important..."take from it what you will". 

Bruce asked if I could write out the poetry in my own writing and send this back to him, I really enjoyed doing this and found it quite therapeutic.  Rewriting his words also gave me a greater understanding into the poetry he had kindly written.

Bruce liked what I sent, he remarked on the torn paper I had used...there's something very satisfying about ripping paper, it always reminds me of rugged landscapes; almost like the photos sent of Foula.

Wandering thoughts.

Its been a busy few weeks with lots to think about...sometimes you need that time out to contemplate before deciding on the best way forward.  Usually working full steam, I have taken a few weeks to consider projects I am working on, course work and the dreaded hand in dates for college Most importantly over the past few months I have been develop new work and techniques that I would like to work with.

With my timetable sorted the next few months should be busy...very busy.  With my college course ending this summer I have wondered what do I do next...tap dancing on pavements for the passers by, go full time self employed and sell my socks off, maybe try to gain employment in a jewellers or better still an internship with a jeweller? 

We will soon see what is in store...hopefully whoever or whatever happens will understand my need for copious amounts of tea and chocolate throughout the day. 

Molly Ginnelly Jewellery: A fragment: from the valley

Molly Ginnelly Jewellery: A fragment: from the valley: Fragment n [ˈfrægmənt] 1. a piece broken off or detached fragments of rock 2. an incomplete piece; portion fragments of a novel 3. a scr...

A fragment: from the valley, Bruce Eunson

Saturday
       falls.

There's a tractor drawing
          a path of Monday-noise

Like I thought about
           drawing on white blue skies

Friday,
      midnight,
           thoughts.

A fragment: from the valley

Fragment

n [ˈfrægmənt]

1. a piece broken off or detached fragments of rock

2. an incomplete piece; portion fragments of a novel

3. a scrap; morsel; bit

vb [frægˈmɛnt]

to break or cause to break into fragments

[from Latin fragmentum, from frangere to break]

A lovely parcel was delivered yesterday...thanks Bruce! I had been eagerly anticipating its arrival and I could not have been any happier on seeing the contents.  Isn't it lovely to see a writers work in their own handwriting?   Its almost like a sneaky peak inside their diary...

My favourite poem was 'A fragment: from the valley', it reminded me of late nights, busy minds and next day plans.

Fragments found.

Small fragmented pieces of a larger object are more interesting than the whole,bringing about details that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.

The word 'fragment' is probably one of my favourite descriptives. A piece or part of a picture being used for sourcing material along with found objects and broken thoughts are definitely the way I had wished our project to begin.

Emails...

So...Bruce and I have been emailing since my last post and I must say I am very excited about our venture.  I bought a nice sketch book to put his poetry and pictures in and am looking forward to filling the pages; there is nothing quite as scary as an empty sketch book! 

Bruce mentioned that the place in the photo he sent last time was called "Foula" and he found himself looking at it as he started to write some new work, therefor it is mentioned in a poem he is sending to me.  So looking forward to reading his work!

Picture of Foula
http://www.shetland-heritage.co.uk/foula

I sent a package to him today, a found key and a tiny spoon I had made last year.  I wonder what he will make of these and what he can take from them.

When the package arrived Bruce was very pleased with the contents and mentioned that the key was very 'Alice in Wonderland' and felt that it held a peculiar or personal secret...which is exactly what my intent was!  The spoon gave Bruce and Rebecca a giggle most probably because if its 'peeriness' (my Shetland dialect word of the week!)





We are still trying to figure out where we would like to go with our collaboration so these 'peerie' packages will soon bring us some inspiration.

Pictures and Music

Today Bruce emailed a link with some music that he finds inspirational, the first one by Julianna Barwick called 'The Magic Place' and secondly 'Heavy Water/I'd rather be sleeping' by Liz Harris otherwise known as Grouper.  Both of the pieces were really chilled out and made me feel quite relaxed whilst doing my course work...nice! Having never heard the music before, I really liked how easy it was to listen to.  I think we are on the same wave length and have similar inspirations, however I'm not quite sure if he will like my music tastes quite the same!


The album front on 'The magic place' looked very much as it sounded, really peaceful and quiet





I also received a photo; a view from his window...wow what a view!



I am hoping that he sends more songs as it would be a great idea if we could also connect through music.


In response I sent Bruce a few pictures taken last year when the snow fell, the view which awaits me every morning when I leave my house...whether its raining, snowing or sunny the garden always cheers me up and leaves me with a feeling of peacefulness.

 



I love how the detail on the lavender tree looks all jagged and how the tree looks so white against the dark coloured trunk.  Branchy trees somehow remind me of lungs...the little twiggy pieces like the alveoli inside the lungs...not that I'm getting technical or anything :0)

Included in my email was a link to one of my favourite songs by Otis Redding, probably one of my faves to listen to while I'm in the studio...with a cup of tea to hand.

Meeting my partner in crime...

On Tuesday this week I headed up to the FCA&C in St Andrews for my first skype meeting with my Farlin collaboration partner Bruce Eunson, I was pretty nervous to be honest!  After meeting the Fife team and a lovely cup of tea I settled down to chat to Bruce about what we both expected from the project, our inspirations, where to start and a general meet and greet...he was really lovely and it was great to finally chat to him - its nice to know what type of person your working with and it seems we have quite a bit in common already!