Dungeness

one strangely intriguing place

Mr Parrot

My Other Leg

My dearest friend Hannah McBedford is off travelling in the big wide world.

I miss her very much.

Social Convergence/ Divergence

After a fair few technical failures, panic attacks, 700 frames and many hours later, here is my final animation. Under the title Convergence/Divergence I chose to explore the social interactions we experience within our everyday lives, and the idea of these moments influencing us perhaps more than we initially realise. I also projected the piece onto various surfaces in town, putting the footage back into it's original context. Perhaps i'm slightly delirious but i would definitely consider doing another animation in future, however in an attempt to retain some sanity, it's back to static images for a while.

‘For, to be a stranger is naturally a very positive relation; it is a specific form of interaction.’

Georg Simmel

Alela Diane and Wild Divine

Probably shouldn't have found the time to do this with the amount of animation work i've still got left to do, but folk/acoustic singer Alela Diane asked for some new tote bag/t-shirt designs so i thought i'd give it a go. I'd like to consider it to be a productive form of procrastination.

living the life of an animator...

The past two weeks have seen me earn a lot of respect for all animators....i have also told my housemate studying animation that he must be mad. After having to restart my final piece twice ( losing a sum total of 60 seconds and a weeks solid work...ouch). I've finally settled on a style...yipeeee. I've definitely learnt a lot from all the various mistakes i've managed to make, but i'm pleased with this final look. Now back to drawing the other frames.

Dandy-Lion Final Images

These are the final images for Dandy-Lion: a fashion and lifestyle publication created by third year fashion student Aisha Green. The photographs I was responding to and using within the images were the work of Photography student Holly Smith.

I really enjoyed working on this project, the brief was great: autumnal images related to the new forest, which gave me a lot of scope for experimentation.

It was decided that the tree image in the previous post was slightly stark, Aisha suggested adding more detail to the branches but i decided to start the piece from scratch. Instead of using the lino print i did a softer drawing from the photograph; biro, fineliner and watercolour.

Now back to the land of animating...lots and lots of animating...

New Forest Goodness

A couple more possible illustrations for the Dandy-Lion article.

Dandy-Lion: Initial Images

Aisha has asked me to produce 6 illustrations to accompany an article within her first magazine issue. These are a few early images; they still need a fair bit of work. The project has been in collaboration with photographer Holly smith who has very kindly let me use her photos of the new forest within my images and as a starting point; check out her blog : http://hollylouisee.blogspot.com/

Writing in the sky.

For the Convergence/Divergence animation unit i've decided to start a new blog documenting research and progress: http://rachaeldinnageillustration.wordpress.com/

It's a bit overwhelming trying to combine concept development, visuals and learning a whole new discipline i've never explored before, but it'll get there! I'm exploring the constant flow of human interaction, and the coming together and moving apart of separate entities as a result of this. My particular interest is in fleeting moments that pass by unoticed, and the possible lasting effects they may have upon us. So far i've been reading a lot of sociological theory which has been really interesting but am struggling slightly to come up with set visuals. It's probably because the majority of my concept research has been text based, I need to look into more creative practitioners to gain a better visual understanding. But these are a few stop motion tests i've been doing so far. I'm really liking the effect of the paint on the window... pretty colours are far too enticing.

Narrative Installation

Well it seems to have taken me a very long time for me to get round to, but these are the photographs of my final installation for the narrative unit. I really enjoyed the creation of this piece and the experience. The feedback from my narrative assessment was also a vast improvement on my last unit which was reassuring. It was suggested I could have taken the idea further, perhaps suspending pieces of glass in the air to enhance the darker undertone of the piece and a sense of fragility. I would also have spent more time on lighting as this did come as more of an afterthought, a slightly better assessment of the space would have been beneficial. I think the most important aspect i'll take forward though is the use of a public space, working in the stairwell of the illustration department meant I had to let other students see, and consequently assess my work even if i wasn't comfortable with it. This project has also opened my eyes to the possibility of interiors as an avenue for further exploration, and perhaps how I could apply my practice interior design. I'm pretty sure no-one would want this as a permanent fixture in their home, especially the smashed glass aspect!...but wallpaper design, murals and textile design are all areas i'd like to consider.

Theory Poster

Although I think everyone was reluctant to get started with the poster project it didn't prove too painful in the end! I focused my essay on the 'digital/analogue' debate last year and I was initially trying to steer clear of looking at this for a second time. I'm planning on incorporating the idea of 'the loss of the real' and the search for authenticity, but also focusing on the overload of imagery and stimuli we are faced with in contemporary society.

Dreambox

This is my submission for the Dreambox Exhibition. The event is organised by Arts and Events management students at AUCB, varying pieces of work all based around the theme of 'dreams' are being exhibited at the Lighthouse Theatre in Poole on saturday. The photograph was taken on top of a mountain in Switzerland a few years ago, we were so high up the clouds formed a lovely fluffy carpet. I figured that was pretty dreamy.

Prospero

Our revels now are ended. These our actors,

As I foretold you, were all spirits, and

Are melted into air, into thin air:

And like the baseless fabric of this vision,

The cloud-capp'd tow'rs, the gorgeous palaces,

The solemn temples, the great globe itself,

Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,

And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,

Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff

As dreams are made on; and our little life

Is rounded with a sleep.

The Tempest Act 4, scene 1, 148–158

Our Day Remains

Newsprint Love

These are the images I am currently exhibiting for our latest Bespoke exhibition at Cafe Bosconova in Boscombe. The theme was 'Love' which I was a tad apprehensive about to begin with. However after a few dilemmas I decided to not worry about it too much and instead create more personal work I was enjoying doing. As part of my installation for the last unit (which I will upload some decent photos of soon!), I began printing onto sheets of newsprint. I'm loving the impact of the brighter colours on the delicate, slightly discoloured surface of the paper.

Each of these images has been printed onto newsprint, is A2 in size and being sold for £10.00.

work in progress

The above photos demonstrate the current state of my bedroom. I think i may have slightly underestimated amount of images I am going to need in order to fill the space i am intending on using! My initial idea was to create some form of stand alone tent, but had a re-think as i feel placing it in an ordinary setting reinforces the underlying theme of escapism within the narrative. I considered using a cupboard space within the studio, but due to the translucent nature of much of the imagery i think some form of natural light source needs to be available. The final images are going to be hanging in the stairwell upon entrance to our studio, and in a slightly closed off area under the stairs. I'm trying not to panic or over-think the work as that will prevent the playful element showing through. I also want the set up to look like a montage of images, kind of like when you're a kid and your mum puts your pictures on the fridge. But in terms of narrative structure there does need to be a darker undertone within the pieces. Time to get drawing/painting/sewing.

'spacey'

Found an amazing book over the weekend, it features images of different surfaces of the earth from space. The textures and colours are so lovely, they're just what i've been looking for to use as collage material. So i've been experimenting layering these over old photographs, pages from astronomy books and using extracts from the film script. I'm hoping to print them onto slightly translucent paper and then stitch them together with fabrics to form the tent-like exterior of my installation.

crayon

7 people designing one poster is a challenge and a half. But here it is! Please come and pay a visit to the exhibition next month if you can.