Studio pebble experiments

OK....the life of a pebble....how complex can it actually be?! well a lot really!

I have been looking at the life of a pebble, from a small cluster of pebbles caught in a crevice to one particular pebble, its possible journey, history, location, shape, colour and patterns....etc

Over the last few months I have been experimenting with a selection of ideas using various materials to see what does and doesn't work....from these I hope to try and establish in which direction my studio practice will go next semester....and start planning for our final exhibition....

To be honest I've really enjoyed the freedom of trying out different ideas and not really feeling any pressure to produce a completed product. ...just sample and see!  
I've really enjoyed seeing what evolves and thankfully been able to laugh at some of the disasters!...any way I thought you might like to see some of them....

selection of plastic, cardboard pipe-tube offcuts

One of my many recycling projects...old drainpipes, selotape innards, paper and cardboard inner-tubes.
I wanted to create a cluster of pebbles highlighting our coast. Each one resembling and representing a pebble bearing  marks and colours just like we see everyday!

I was influenced by Susan Benarcik, her work is also reminiscent of objects found in nature. 
Her work is made with the environment in mind, her compositions provoking the viewer to observe and reflect on human experiences. Her soft natural pallet and clever use of recycled objects articulately manipulated to create not only delicate sculptural installations that are highly tactile and evocative but clearly  highlight her fondness and respect for the natural world...
I highly recommend a look at her website for more of her work...
http://www.susanbenarcik.com

...this is just a sample of what I would like to produce on a larger scale...
I used OS, geographical and a variety of old maps  for the lining, but only the section containing our coast - from approx Whitby to Bridlington

masking tape  card centre re-used
coastal map inside, chiffon and nylon net
 painted with ink then shrank with heat gun

Some of these tubes work really well, I've tried to make them have different interesting elements rather than them all being painted with acrylic...no pebble is ever the same, so non of these are ever the same!

thinking about their composition and
how best to arrange them...

 I've used moulding paste, netting, sheer fabrics, tyvek, inks, tissue... often using the heatgun to seal or manipulate to create grooves or  crevices.

I'm not really sure if the Tyvek works....it looks a bit too    much like skin, not the desired effect I'm looking for at all - see image above!...
I'm not sure yet how to install this idea, wall mounted, suspended or I'm liking the idea of them being on the floor - like pebbles - found in corners of the room akin to how you find drifts of pebbles on the beach....

I do like how the overall effect works, the randomness of the tubes, some of which will be left in their raw state....to highlight what they actually are...I have loads more tubes to use, this is just a small sample of what it might look like, anyway, one of many.....

...next...

I'll post another another working progress soon...

happy reading, bye