Water/Bleak Spaces

Tentatively beginning a new project and starting to plan it. Whilst I did not achieve ACE funding, I am nevertheless going to carry out the project albeit in a slightly different form. The aim: To explore rivers and canals combining art and science with environmental concerns. Looking at it from an artist perspective. How: A three month narrow boat trip, in a southerly direction but not quite decided yet. Short days of boating, up to five hours with art/creative emphasis for the rest of the day. When: April to July Planning and Preparation: Choosing a travelling library – This is fun and only buying used books. My idea is to think very carefully about how I live on this trip so beginning with Schumacher’s This I Believe collection of essays which follow on from his Small is Beautiful which I have read before. It will inform me of a way of thinking about micro economics and how we have to look at the world differently. Next is Tristan Gooley’s Looking at Water and Walkers Signs alongside a book on stars. Next thoughts are how to document the voyage. Initially wondering about making paper, small squares for each day but maybe too much work for me at this time. So looking at what others have done and I began studying Leonardo Da Vinci’s notebooks from the V & A codex. Fascinating just looking at the colours of the inks and pages and the construction of the books. Practically, I went to the Museum of Making in Derby and made a set of fender hooks. Our built in ones are never in the right place! Also got some blacking to touch up some scrapes from underwater obstructions.