Playing with Tins

I'm getting on really well with my initial ideas and sketches for the 30 pieces of work ; seem to be in my element. I've missed this method of working. 

When i studied for the Voyage of Discovery exhibition in 2008/9 I began by reading The Origin of Species and making notes. So that's how I started this project - reading Worms and Mould. I was a bit worried that the language might be a bit turgid, as I had found The Origin, but actually, it was fascinating, and even funny in places. 

In my last blog I mentioned that I will be documenting the work in this exhibition with an edition of 50 handmade artists books, and that they will be contained within A5 size tin boxes. Well the tin boxes arrived today! By courier - 72 of them. It was a very big and heavy cardboard box!!

I spent a very happy couple of hours this afternoon playing with the lids. Scratching, inking, sandpapering, drawing, printing and then putting them in the oven to fix the inks. I haven't come up with the final version yet, by any means, but I'm really enjoying getting there.

More playing tomorrow.

I'm glad I've given myself enough time to really be in control of this work. I'm really enjoying it, and having time to savour the experience. The stress will come, and the doubts and the challenges, but hopefully I'll be a way down the line by then, and more able to cope with inevitable problems.