Terramoto Samba, performing at Dumfries Big Burns Super Carnival Parade.

Photo’s by Alison Boyes.

Horse Heads designed by Christine, Rodger and I,                                                                        made by members of the band and their fan club.

I have spent two days working with this delightful gang, the Terremoto Samba Band, in Dalbeatie, Dumfries and Galloway, helping them to create Horse Head Hats (Meg, the Mare from Tam o’Shanter). Thanks you especially to Christine and Rodger for this opportunity to play, to construct, for conversations and hospitality. Looking forwards to the photo’s of the gig next friday, ‘Burns Night’ in Dumfries.

From the wood carving through the raw leather wet moulding to red stained leather.

Now what do I do with the piece?

Next stage of the process is about to begin! The new year will see new work emerging.

Experiments in wet moulding leather over carved wood formers.

Scruffy Crow emerges from it’s mould

Clay now complete for the ‘runciple raven’ and mould made for Comedia Bird Zanni.
Broken all the rules of symmetry and found a new abstraction with enhanced lines and planes.  It will be a dark mask which may make the asymmetry more subtle.     This new departure from my norm is reflecting my learning from students this year.     It is so true that teaching encourages self as artist, to reflect and question one’s own practice. Feeling revitalised by the experience of the last two years and particularly of the last month now that I have had some time and have a reason the engage meaningfully in my own practice.

Working on a new Commedia Dell’Arte Mask.   This one to be birdlike.

I am finding something Raven’ish, a bit of a trickster. More intelligent that at first appears. A Scruffy Raven or Crow.

First drawings and into Clay.

Maybe a Crow with a Crumpled Beak! Where will this character go?

Soon to find out.

Meanwhile other orders are drying in their moulds.

Further explorations into wood carving with a view to future leather casting.

Mask Making first with five days at Nottingham Trent Theatre Design Department with  28 second year students followed by Guildhall School of Music and Drama and 7 first year students for just two days.

Both working to a design brief and playing within the spectrum of  ‘The Human Animal’.

Both groups producing work of a very high technical and sculptural standard and both making work which is highly usable as a theatre mask.

Bravo to you all. I have loved working with you all.