I've got an award!!!

 Today, the email came through from Aberden City Council about my VACMA Application. I have been granted the award and I'm so excited.

I can now book an Open Access week at the Scottish Sculpture Workshop in Lumsden to learn mould making for bronze casting. 

Things to do, things to organise, mainly myself of course, and ideas to generate.

This is the plaster sculpture I'd like to make castings from. It is life sized so fits beautifully in my hand.

Made during lockdown when I couldn't get access to my stone pieces, the plaster is delicate, as you can imagine but carves wonderfully. I had a couple of plaster blocks hanging around from a craft/art pack we'd been making at the scrapstore (ScrapAntics) for disadvantaged teens amongst others.

Saturday - the last day.

Saturday, and feeling a little blue, will miss this.

The usual morning routine but this time I also packed and took stuff to the car - thought I'd remembered everything but of course, forgot the few things I had in the small fridge in studio 2 where I've been chilling' and blogging in the evenings. Ah well, never mind.

Up the hill and straight into .... oops, forgot my glasses!
Back down the hill, drove up, and then straight into cutting, finished that 'B' of mine. I feel a sense of accomplishment because it's looking ok and I can also see where to improve which makes me realise how much I've achieved.

Here it is in all its glory. Difficult to tell the size from the photo but it is in fact 10cm high.

Moving on - now to do an 'E'.

Thins first and watching the angle

Excitement is the sentiment at the moment and more confidence as I scratch and chop away the sandstone.  Robbie remembered that he'd offered a chance to cut letters into limestone as there are a few pieces here. I jumped at the chance, Lara too.

Quite a different stone altogether. The noise when cutting is like porcelain in a strange way, and a  metallic type of sound. It is a lot softer so having to take much more care.

nearly finished

Talking about taking care - I broke through on the inner apex of the 'A'. After that I made doubly sure I cut straight and chased thoroughly so it wasn't as obvious. (it worked)

Had to have a flourish to end the cutting for the week. Enjoyed it a lot.

LUNCH!

Food great!

During the morning, the guys upstairs drawing had had a chat and thought it was a good idea to get Robbie a little thank you in liquid form. Tim went off to do that. 

After lunch, the usual chat was had and then a wee presentation of the malt. Tim had also had a great idea of buying 8 erasers,  which we all put our names on, something to remember us by. Plus there is a lot of rubbing out.

Robbie was tickled with the erasers and chuffed with the whisky.

Back up the hill one last time.

Decided to spend the last of my time drawing out the words I want on the other side of the stone.

No tracing the letters to make it easier to learn the spacing, all my own work apart from I had Robbie's sheet of letters to consult.

Gail, David and another lady from Cromarty Arts Trust came up to see how we were getting on,

and.....

We got a certificate!

There was also fizzy or orange juice - most of us were driving so juice it was.

Photos were taken, wee speeches and then it was all over.

Before leaving I got the stone in the car.

Things like this always end strangely, everyone disappearing off back home and knowing that there will be no letter cutting tomorrow. ( got to get my act into gear and sort out an easel for the stone )

Feeling quite sad as I drove off. Will definitely be back to Cromarty though.

4th day - can you see a pattern yet?

Thursday, We're rolling through the week, really glad it's a six day course - enjoying it too much to stop, picking up snippets of stone info from the others too.

Could also get used to this cooked breakfast malarkey - more silly chat, a laugh does start the day off well. 

Up the Stables well before 9.30, but want to get on. A wee talk and handouts about spacing/kerning, then downstairs to cut.

Here I am. Strange seeing myself with glasses.

Today I didn't cut many letters but I took more care over them all and drew them out - well, apart from the 'O' which was from Robbie's cheat sheet - was having problems with curves - the angle wasn't clean and smooth enough inside - so that is my practise today.

Interesting drawing on the stone, took longer but getting easier to see the mistakes - the differences between fat/thin/normal widths, and the curve of those serifs. Also getting a little better with control of the chisel.

Definitely a much slower day.

Today's fun is brought to you by the letter 'Q'.

Drawn out and starting the centre line scratch, then the curves mostly chopped out.

 

Curves chased out and scratch on the tail then next image shows the tail chopped out.

Here is the'Q' finished along with his friend the 'O'.

LUNCH

Then Robbie suggested we take a look at Hugh Miller's house/museum.

Hugh Miller was a Cromarty lad who, fed up with school went off to apprentice as a stonemason. He was fascinated with fossils and subsequently became a geologist. Two of his books, 'The Old Red Sandstone' and 'My Schools and Schoolmasters' include descriptions of his searches for fossils on the beaches near his home.

http://www.thefriendsofhughmiller.org.uk

One of his phrases that I like very much is, as noted on the webpage above,

“Life itself is a school, and nature always a fresh study.”

Hugh also worked for newspapers and was extremely vocal about arguing against the removal of people from the land to make way for sheep.

He did end up with lung problems from his work as a stonemason so moved on to letter cutting.

During our visit at the museum I noticed that Hugh's son had married a Jane Morison Campbell (nee Buchanan) and their son became Capt. Hugh Morison. Very interesting as it is my surname and Morison with a single letter 'R' is not that common. A story there, I'm sure. On searching the family tree there was also an Ada Mary Morison. Hmm?

I spent a little longer there than expected chatting with Dr Alix Powers-Jones of the National Trust for Scotland. 

I was last up the hill and straight into spacing - very difficult. Getting a sense of it, a feel for the gaps or as Robbie would say, the volume between the letters as if they are 3D which in a sense they are.

Lots of drawing/ rubbing out/ re-drawing/ more rubbing out.... all through the afternoon. Not easy at all but when it's right something clicks into place like a jigsaw piece and then the eye has the pleasure and a feeling of success fills you.

Simple things!

The Stables and Urquhart the Unicorn.

The day went really quickly, more concentrating and feeling tired - it was also colder today.

Down the hill.

Michael wondered if the gate to the tunnel was open so we had to try it - and it was - so of course we had to creep down to the end. Footsteps echoing slightly we came across a log pile, washing machine and then a dog's basket, I looked up and there was a door too - oops - back to the road in a speedy fashion. 

It must have been horrible for the servants in winter - really dark apart from 3 places where the roof opened up to the air with a circular grid in place.

Back at Brewery, and I was standing outside to get a phone signal, quite random here for mobiles, which I quite like in a strange way. Just about to wander off up the beach a bit and another friend rang - perfect timing. Another few steps and I would have been out of signal again. 

Spied a couple of likely stones as I was chatting and put them aside for later.

I went along the beach, jumping from stone to stone as I used to do as a child - great fun.

I can understand why Hugh Miller was fascinated with the stones on the beach...  The rocks are so varied - swirls/ colours/ types - the sea has worn them in wonderful shapes. Couldn't take many photos as phone ran out of battery.

Wandering along in my happy state I happened upon a dead sheep and then felt bad, it had been washed up I think but the blood was really red and fresh so not sure what happened. Mood dropped fast.

Took a different path back, above the beach and focussed on something else which worked after a while.

A similar evening to the rest - food/ blog/ music/ chill then shower/ bed /book.

Third day!

Wednesday morning and the squeaky floorboard alarm woke me at 7am. Yoga, writing and then -
BREAKFAST!

It's lovely being around people during the day - especially morning, kind of changes the rest of the perspective of the rest of the day.

We seem to be eating then going straight up the hill, beautiful sunny mornings and a fresh stillness that can't be beat. A wee chat on the bench outside overlooked by the unicorn then in upstairs to focus on drawing letters. Today I decided to do the ones I want in my final piece, i.e. - 'Time Suspended' - hopefully it will be a good example of what I can do. Enjoying the drawing - hand to eye through the pathways of the brain and small, tiny adjustments until the letter morphs into a balanced and dynamic form. (What I'm aiming for anyway)

We had a tea break today! Quite short though as I wanted to get back to the letters.

- 3 days in and I can see the difference. Each letter takes longer now because I refine them more and am beginning to see where it looks wrong.

Soon enough - lunchtime - a cold buffet today but as usual, very tasty. I even managed to cake, lemon madeira - extremely moist and exceptionally flavoursome.

Bit o' banter over lunch, questions/ chatting then a slow toddle uphillwards.

Stone swop and off again with the dummy and chisel.

It's the turn of 'H' today and I'm taking more care of my serifs (as Lara piped up - 'I shot the Serif')

Pleased with the end result, mainly because the letter was hand drawn to begin with. I can now see how much better it can be - plenty practice ahead.

Robbie allowed us to use his cheat sheet - his drawn letters on tracing paper -  so I went all out and tried an 'R'.  Plenty to think about before tackling that letter - I can tell you.

Where to begin? - joins? - but maybe that lovely sweeping tail? (it was most enjoyable to cut)

Then I decided to draw in my own 'S' to cut - an easy letter, it is not.

I even went over 5pm just to finish it. Keeping the angles right was tricky (didn't quite) but I am pleased with the end result.

We also got shown how to sharpen the chisels today.

Off downhill but I stopped by the small cemetery (also known as the Pirate's Graveyard) I have never seen so many scull and crossbones carved into gravestones in one graveyard. Wow! 

Interesting looking at the lettering - I now have something else to draw my eye.

The light - as seems to be usual - was warming, a nostalgic kind of light, or maybe that's because I was in the cemetery. As it dappled through the trees it seemed timeless - (I know, a few cliches going on here).

To the stables and then I drove back up the hill - new build on top and I thought the road stopped but on hindsight I don't think it did.

Anyway - I drove back the other way which definitely did come to a dead end. Car stopped, parked, locked and off for a wee wander up the hill. - what a view - and that light again - gorgeous shadows in the grass - the head of land opposite was coloured with a redness from the sun.

Back to base with a smile on my face - wee snack and downloading photos, hadn't realised I'd taken so many.

Robbie popped in to see if I was alright on my own and Lara had asked during the day... really nice.

Blog updated - music listened to - snacks eaten, then it was off to bed with my book.

Second Day!

Morning...

- achey achey but a wee bit yoga and ok again - it.
Lara had suggested that we carry on cutting and then draw letters in afternoon as we were already set up. So that's what we did.

Back to the cutting.

Here I've lengthened a previous vertical, added the horizontal and an extra curve. Is looking vaguely pagan/witchy, not consciously intentional.

Started doing junctions, joins and serifs - not great but then Robbie gave us a demo. Makes so much more sense when I watch - what angle the chisel is held at, where to hold the chisel and which directions to cut - especially with the thin serifs.

Rolling the chisel edge to cut the very thinnest part and trying not to break out of the line - whew!

I'm really pleased that I'm getting recognisable letters but I can also see how ragged they are. We were given some hand-outs today which have helped but the main thing I'm finding is keeping the chisel at those two lots of 45 degree angles.
Arms are aching slightly, as it's something new, learning to hold the chisel firmly but also to relax the hand - holding the dummy (mallet) firmly but relaxed enough to swing from the wrist.

So much to think about. 

Serifs are so very difficult - those wee things that seem just added on can make all the difference to how a letter looks - whether balanced, whether top or bottom heavy - very minor adjustments in the drawing makes incredible difference to how pleasing it is to the eye.

This afternoon it was swop over time and our group was back to the drawing.

I have now tried every letter and most of them are not right, I won't say wrong because there are bits about them that are correct. I need to sort out my thicks and thins - not easy when there are no definitive measurements.

All things of measure end with  -ish at the moment.

But.... feeling like I've learnt  so much and enjoying it immensely.

            Saw this amazing tree stump on the way down the hill.

Then this tunnel.

I was told this was the servants entrance to the big house. Quite a scary pathway to follow. There is a large metal gate so I wasn't able to get any closer. It is quite a grand entrance even for servants - I haven't shown the whole entranceway.

After my gentle stroll downhill, I noticed a wee path, followed it to the shore and this view was at the end.

I forewent the evening meal in the pub, can't really afford it. So instead I went for a drive to Rosemarkie and found an open Spar, good to get out for a drive too.

Took this on my drive out.

It was really nice to make some simple food and catch up on the blog, while playing some chilled tunes. Writing/ computer/ music/ blog.....then shower/ bed/ book - all in all, very pleasant.

Oh Yes! - yet again, the walk down hill from the Stables was scented with peat and log fires - what is it about peat burning that has that calming effect on me? 

I need to have a real fire, the difference it makes to my well being is immense.

Ist day of letter-cutting course

So, Monday has arrived and I awoke early, mainly because of the squeaky floorboards above.
But.... a little yoga and a few bits of physio and almost ready for a lovely cooked breakfast.
Can't be bad ....eh?

Met the other three staying at the Brewery and Robbie downstairs, slight awkwardness as expected then, partly due to Lara, who is very open and lovely, we all got on fine. The other guys are Michael and Innes (who had been their tutor at Forth Valley).

Fab breakfast, real coffee - none of that instant stuff that I'm used to - and silly chat.

A wee walk up a fairly steep hill then a slow start as we got to know each other a little and sort out the stones and supports. The others (not staying at the Brewery) are Tim, Stephen, Allen and Jo - an older lady who had done no carving or lettering before but had done art.

We had a spiel then split into two groups of four. 4 downstairs with the stone and 4 upstairs with learning to draw the lettering. Me, I went for drawing first. Using Roman capitals because of the beautiful balance they have and, according to Robbie, they are also highly sophisticated.

Very basic rules and then we were left to get on with it. It was strange but it helped with the bonding. The idea behind this approach is so that we understand the font but also get a feel for it. Robbie corrected our tryouts and although difficult it did make the lettering come alive more.

There is no real formula for doing Roman Trajan lettering.

Then, a walk down the hill, back to the Brewery and more fabulous food by Gail and Kellianne. I can't keep on eating this much - too much for me and was feeling tired in afternoon. Just practising cuts after a small demo.

I seem to be better at at curves rather than straight lines but practise will help - Getting into all sorts of twisted shapes to get the angle of the cut correct. (45 degree angles)

Terminology learnt so far - 

Serifs / stem / bracket / counter / bowl / tail / x height / base line.

We're also using a mid-line. There is a correlation between the width of the stem and the height of the letter. 1-8 or 1-10 is supposed to be usual but we are using 1-9.

Confusing to begin with but does make sense. (I think?)

Pub for after and very lovely grub there too. A couple of pints and the talk was varied to say the least.
from stone letter-cutting to cannibalism - whew!
I left early, some work on the computer then bed and book.

The walk back to base had smelt of burning peat and log fires, something that brings me instant peace and tranquil thoughts.

The other side looked like this.

  

Cromarty itself.

I parked by the shore and had myself a wee walk - listening to the waves, which always bring a smile to my face, and the various bells and garbled/muffled announcements from the rig on the other side of the bay, which most certainly don't. Fairly strange in that peaceful spot to have the sounds of industry lurking in the background.

I was playing with the shadows because the light was gorgeous and the sun very bright. I am in both pics.

The lighthouse is a beautiful shape so I took quite a few photos of that and a wee sketch had to be done although it was awkward with the sun in my eyes and the breeze ruffling my sketchbook.

After that I went to the Old Brewery - very easy to find, no-one about though. Although, in a very serendipitous manner, Gail arrived just as I poked my head around the side of the building. In a very kindly way, explanations were forthcoming as to my room, where everything was, how it worked, and yes I could put my beers to chill in the fridge, then I was left to myself.

Settled in and I thought another wee wander was in order. Old boats pulled up on the shore, one of them might be in the process of repair but the other has definitely had its day. Blue faded clinker planks.

Cold wind has reddened my cheeks and a weariness has taken hold. Back to base - food, a beer and up to the attic room where workshops, groups and conferences happen. Lovely space.

Check it out for yourself. 

http://www.cromartyartstrust.org.uk/old-brewery.asp

To my room early as the others haven't arrived and I feel a little nervous or maybe that's a bit of excitement hanging about me too. The others are properly trained stonemasons so trepidation is here too. Part of meekness it will be fine, but the other part feels like an imposter.