SKULLS - GARDEN MUSEUM PAPER CUT

SKULL ON GRAVE IN THE WILD LIFE GARDEN

The skull is one of man's oldest and most powerful symbols. It has a long and varied history, but most commonly it is seen as a representation of death and mortality.

The Nazi SS incorporated the skull into the uniforms of their concentration camp guards in a symbol that probably still invokes fear today.  In the same way the skull and crossbones symbol was placed on bottles of poison as a visual reminder of danger.  And of course it was once flown as the flag of pirates, and was probably as unwelcome a sight as any on the high seas.

SKULL ON TRADESCANT FAMILY TOMB

Today it is commonly used in horror films, horror books, and haunted houses to create an environment or feeling of fear and trepidation.

I have discovered a couple of skulls in the Garden Museum, one on the tomb of the Tradescant family in the Knot garden and another on a grave in the Wild Life Garden outside. These along with a recent Paper Cutting workshop at the Sir John Soane Museum, by Jessica Palmer - artist and illustrator, has inspired me to produce this paper cut of a skull.

MY FIRST SKETCH AND REVERSE OF PAPER CUT

FRONT VIEW OF PAPER CUT

SHINE A TORCH ON THE THE PAPER CUT, THEN TAKE A PICTURE OF THE SHADOW
AND GET THIS WEIRD EFFECT

THE IMAGE LAID OVER SOME OLD PAPER IN PHOTOSHOP

SOME USEFUL LINKS
www.jessicapalmerart.biz
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicapalmer18/sets/72157633103844264/
www.gardenmuseum.org.uk/
www.soane.org/www.obsessedwithskulls.com

ERIC GILL - BE STRONG IN THE LORD

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I have called by name Bezaleel:
And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.
Exodus 31 verse 1-2

This carved Bible verse is for a Minster and his wife who are about to move to Scotland to take up a post at a church in St. Andrews. St Andrews is famous for golf and for its university, where Prince William met Kate Middleton. But the point of interest in this carving is the font I have used, which is called Perpetua, designed by Eric Gill.



Eric Gill
I would reckon most people outside the world of art would say they have never heard of Eric Gill. Even though there is a good chance if they use a computer they have a tentative link to him. Eric Gill, who was born in 1882, designed some of the most used fonts to be found on your computer, Gill Sans and Perpetua to name just two. A year or two ago, Gill was the subject of a small exhibition at the British Museum which I was able to attend. Anyone who has such an honour bestowed on them is well worth investigating a little bit more.

Eric Gill and one of his original drawings for Gill Sans

It was said of Gill at the British Museum exhibition, that he is one of the twentieth century’s most controversial artists. His personal life, when he was alive, was seen as scandalous. Since his death even more of his personal life has come to light from his own diaries. This has somewhat coloured his reputation and appeal. (but as someone once said “I don’t think we will pursue that line of inquiry”). But Gill was such a skilled man in many areas, it is very difficult, nigh on impossible to categorise him. He was quite simply a genius as a letter cutter, wood engraver, sculptor, typographer and artist. To be skilled in one of these disciplines is a great gift. But to be highly skilled in all of them as Gill was, it sets him apart as a real genuine genius. He was also a outsider and a radical, Gill, nevertheless became one of the establishments favourite artists. In his life time we produced work for the Roman Catholic Church, the British Government, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Royal Mint, the Post Office, London Underground and the BBC. 

Eric Gill and the hand-painted Gill Sans head board for the LNER Flying Scotsman,
at Kings Cross station, London, c1933

If you would like to find out more about Gills work visit: www.ericgill.org.uk

SUN, MOON, STARS

I am often asked, where do you get your wood from? The answer is that I pick it up from all sorts of places. But most of it comes from Whitten Timber (no relation), just up the road from where I live, which, to say the least, is very handy.

The name WHITTON - a short history

Recorded in the spellings of Whitten, Whitton, Witton, Wytone, and possibly others, this is an Anglo-Scottish surname. In England it is locational, or possibly topographical, from any of the places called Whitton or Witton, such as Whitton le Wear in County Durham, or Whitton in Northumberland, Lincolnshire and Suffolk. The place name is derived from the Olde English byname, Hwita meaning 'white', and 'tun', - a farm or enclosure, and was originally given to those who dwelt at such a place. The Scottish name holders also have locational origins of the same meaning, and derive their name from an area known as "The lands of Whitton", in the parish of Morebattle, Roxburghshire.

WHITTEN TIMBER

Whitten Timber, has a long history on the Grand Surrey Canal. Since 1919, Whittens have been serving Peckham.  They are a family-run business, supplying the very best in natural timber and timber-based products.

In the early days, the soft wood purchased to machine and sell, arrived at Eagle Wharf, in long barges. These had been pulled by horses up the tow paths of the Grand Surrey Canal, from the Surrey Docks at Rotherhithe, where the timber had been shipped from around the world.  Pictures of the canal and the barges can be seen around the warehouse.

Before you even enter the warehouse, you can see a few examples of Oak tree roots: they resemble giant wooden stars, plucked from the ground, rather than the sky! And I’m sure, if they were polished or even just left as they are, they would be at home in any art gallery.

For me, the best part about Whitten Timber, is the wide assortment of strangely and beautifully shaped hard woods that are available, in particular those pieces where the bark of the wood is still attached and where the whole life span of the tree is exposed. The great thing about wood like this, is that no two bits are ever the same and that every resulting piece of carved work is unique.

One thing worth remembering though, is that you need to visit the Warehouse on a regular basis and take a look around to see what new treasure you can find;  stock is always changing, which makes every visit exciting!  Sometimes these treasures can be found in one of the large off-cut boxes, leaning up against a wall or just in the middle of the floor.

If you visit on a busy period, it won’t be long before you hear the loud cry of “Service” over the tannoy as a queue customers gather at the tills clutching bits of paper with hand drawn diagrams and measurements of their latest DIY project.  Or, “Mind your backs” as a speeding trolley loaded with timber moves towards you. There is no better place to buy timber in Saff London, with knowledgeable and helpful staff.

THE CARVING
A favourite wood of mine is Yew. Yew trees are sometimes referred to as 'The Guardian of Time', due to their length of life. I purchased a piece of Yew from Whitten Timber a few weeks ago. When I bought the wood, I didn’t really have an idea of what I was going do with it.  To be frank, I only went into Whitten Timber, to buy some white spirit, but I ended up going out with this piece of wood. An occupational hazard I guess. This is always happening. I was attracted to this piece of Yew because it was free standing and I liked the shape.

After a week or so of going over some ideas and thinking about it, my wife Judith suggested Sun, Moon, Stars. One problem though – it’s hard to get horizontal words to look right, as they run vertically along the timber. I tried several typefaces, but none of them seemed to work as I’d hoped.

In the end, I contacted my friend Julie Rezac - letter cutter and artist.  She said “Let go of the type style iron grip and play with the letters.” And Julie was right. I left the comfort of the digital font and went to the layout pad and pencil. As a relative newcomer, it’s sometimes about my lack of confidence in the process of drawing the letters freehand as, to me, they never look as good as I’d like, but I’m sure that will change with experience. It’s like anything in life, I guess..... to be good at something, you have to practise and practise.

However, I gave it a go and did it all freehand, with the help of some French curves, some layout and carbon paper, all of which helped me transfer the letters onto the wood.

See the process below:-

ADVANCE STAGE SKETCHES

I USE CARBON PAPER TO TRACE THE IMAGE ONTO THE WOOD

THE PROCESS STARTS BY CUTTING A LINE INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE LETTER

THEN THE CARVING BEGINS, CUTTING IN FROM BOTH SIDES.

WHEN ALL THE LETTERS ARE CUT, THE WOOD IS SANDED DOWN, UNTIL SMOOTH AND CLEAN

I USE A SOFT BARBERS BRUSH TO CLEAR THE DUST

THE LETTERS ARE THEN PAINTED USING AN ACRYLIC PAINT, NO PRIMER NEEDED.
IN BETWEEN THESE TWO IMAGES, THE WOOD IS SANDED AGAIN TO GIVE A SHARPER EDGE TO THE LETTERS

FINALLY THE WOOD HAS A FEW COATINGS OF BOILED LINSEED OIL FOR PROTECTION

BEFORE AND AFTER

www.whittentimber.co.uk

www.memorial-artist.co.uk

WINTER AT THE GARDEN MUSEUM

A small selection of pictures I took at the Garden Museum yesterday, 22nd January 2013. Plus a few quotes about snow I found on the web. Enjoy.

"A snowflake is winter's butterfly."

"No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place."

"There's one good thing about snow, it makes your lawn look as nice as your neighbor's".

"Where does the white go when the snow melts?"

"Oh! the snow, the beautiful snow, Filling the sky and earth below,

"Snowmen fall from Heaven unassembled."

"Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but look at what they can do when they stick together."

"The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball."

"The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?"

THE DRAGON, THE CLOCK AND THE PRINTING PRESS

Saint George and the Dragon, Dorset Rise

This is probably my last instalment on the dragons of London. But you never can say for sure. At present I am working on a carving of a dragon in the shape of the letter S. But that is a week or two away from completion. In the meantime, I foundt a couple of dragons in and around Fleet Street that I have missed, or was unable to photograph, because they were covered up by building work.

Fleet Street 

Fleet Street is named after the River Fleet, London's largest underground river. This street was the home of the British newspaper industry for many years until the 1980s. Even though the last major British news office, Reuters, left in 2005, the term Fleet Street continues to be used as a metonym for the British national press.

Publishing started in Fleet Street around 1500, when William Caxton’s  apprentice, Wynkyn de Worde, set up a printing shop near Shoe Lane, while at around the same time Richard Pynson set up as publisher and printer next to St. Dunstan’s Church. More printers and publishers followed, mainly supplying the legal trade, in the four Law Inns around the area. In March 1702, London's first daily newspaper, the Daily Courant, was published in Fleet Street, from premises, above the White Hart Inn.

Fleet Street is also famous for the barber Sweeney Todd, traditionally said to have lived and worked in Fleet Street (he is sometimes called the 'Demon Barber of Fleet Street'). An early example of a serial killer, the character appears in various English language works, starting in the mid-19th century. But neither the popular press, the Old Bailey trial records, the trade directories of the City, nor the lists of the Barbers’s Company, mention any such person, or indeed any such case. However, as some might say “when did the truth get in the way of a good story”.

The Dragons

I digress, back to the dragons. The first one is the very large "Saint George and the Dragon," a public sculpture by Michael Sandle in Dorset Rise. The material used for the sculpture is bronze and approximately nine metres. One of the amazing things about London, is that there is so much of interest in little side roads. This dragon is ro the rear of a Premier Inn, at the entrance to what looks like a car park.

The corner of Fleet Street and Chancery Lane

St Dunstan dragons

Next up, is the red brick building at the corner of Fleet Street and Chancery Lane. Look upwards and you can see a pair of dragons guarding the building. The building also has many faces adorning its facia, no doubt these are famous people, but this will need more research to determine who they are and why they are there!

St Dunstan old clock

Clocks

Last of all in the dragons of Fleet Street are a small pair of dragons on the side of St Dunstan Church. St Dunstan was a well-known landmark in previous centuries, because of its magnificent clock. This dates from 1671, and was the first public clock in London to have a minute hand. The figures of the two giants strike the hours and quarters, and turn their heads. There are numerous literary references to the clock, including in Tom Brown’s Schooldays, the Vicar of Wakefield and a poem by William Cowper (1782):

When labour and when dullness, club in hand,
Like the two figures at St. Dunstan’s stand,
Beating alternately in measured time
The clockwork tintinnabulum of rhyme,
Exact and regular the sounds will be,
But such mere quarter-strokes are not for me.

The clock of St Dunstan is not the only clock in Fleet Street, there are several beautiful clocks on the street, each one with its own story. If you were late for work in Fleet Street, you would be without excuse.

Clocks at 187 Fleet Street and the Royal Courts of Justice

Art Deco clocks outside the old Daily Telegraph Building and Ludgate House, Fleet Street

Printing

Another place of interest, just off Fleet Street, tucked away in a side road, is Magpie Alley. Along this sheltered alley, you can see the history of printing. From early printing presses, up to the production of news papers and publishing in Fleet Street. Also nearby is St Brides Church and next to that you will find The St Bride Foundation, where the old St Bride Printing School was based. Today it still contains working examples of vintage letterpress printing machines. Also there is a Library and reading room which is open to the public. Anyone who has a passion for print, design or the written word, will find great treasure.

The story of the printing press Magpie Alley

The famous St Bride's Church and wedding cake

USEFUL LINKS

www.sbf.org.uk

stbridelibrary.bigcartel.com

www.stdunstaninthewest.org

www.stbrides.com

COMPOST CORNER

A sign for the Garden Museum on Lambeth Palace Road. For those like myself, of a certain age, Compost Corner takes us back to a kids TV show from the 1970's/80's. TISWAS ("Today Is Saturday Watch And Smile"). Most famously hosted by Chris Tarrant between 1974 and 1981, and later Sally James, it also featured the young Lenny Henry.