Charlotte Walker Art Foundation Degree

 This is a compilation photos that I have taken while searching for objects I find inspiring and relevant to my project. I have looked in a wide range of places, including Elsecar Heriatage Centre, Barnsley Antiques Emporium, Cromford Mill antiques, Ironbridge Antiques, Hopkinsons Vintage (Nottingham), Cattle Market carboot, Colwick carboot, Something Different (Toton), Sue Ryder (various locations) and lots of other charity shops. I am most drawn to figurines depicting animals or creatures, because I think they have more character than objects like plates and furniture, but I recognise those things can also be very kitsch and nostalgic.

To make a change from my observational drawings, I did some intuitive sketches using my alcohol markers where I explored combining the motifs that appear in my work - cats and patterns from my pottery collection.   I like this page because it has a retro feel, I think because of the colour palette. I've created this image board of popular 60s wallpaper styles to compare, and I think the combiation of green, orange and brown will be a subtle but effective way to make my work reminiscent of the past. Next I made a repeat pattern based on a floral motif from a cat orament I saw in the antique shop, and a simplified cat figure. This piece also reminds me of wallpaper. Finally, I scribbled some cat faces that are influenced by the style of cat ornaments I have observerd in my research, while incorporating shades of blue that allude to my pottery, as well as patterns from the fragments.

Like I wrote in my sketchbook, I was inspired by Andy Holden's work to go in search of ceramic cats to draw. These drawings are based on a selection of cats I found in the Hopkinson's antique shop in Nottingham. Because I used such a soft pencil, the watercolour made it wash out slightly so I used a fine-liner to re-define some of the marks. I chose watercolour because I felt that it gave a similar impression to some of the paint and glazes used on the cats which look quite washy and translucent. Reference Images:

 A big part of my research over the last few weeks has been exploring different charity and antique shops to gather imagery of second hand collectibles and kitsch objects. In response to Andy Holden's 'Cat-tharsis' I have compiled all my images of ceramic cats, which I think perfectly embody the idea of the kitsch. The more stylised ones with exaggerated, cartoon-like features draw on traditional ideas of cuteness and beauty, but may be associated with tackiness and poor taste when placed in the home. I made this picture collage on photoshop showing some of the cats I have photographed, and it was inspired by 'The Office of Collecting' which photographs arrangements of objects, which are usually classified by colour, and posts them on Instagram.  These are the original images - some of them didn't make it onto my collage due to parts being obscured by other objects....  

  Here  I have used stitch as a drawing technique and it depicts one of my favourite pieces of sea pottery that I found in Cornwall over half term. Although it took a long time to complete, I'm happy with the finished thing because the fine thread creates delicate lines that reflect the fragile nature of ceramics, plus the use of textiles relates to the domestic field of imagery that I'm working with. The calico fabric has a sense of crudeness and functionality, and I like this because it reflects the utilitarian aspect of ceramics while the thread represents the decorative side, it's a binary of usefulness and attractiveness that is seen throughout the home and informs how we value our possessions. In my sketchbook I made some watercolour and pencil drawings, plus a grid of colours that I have observed in my collection. I used watercolour pencils to define the patterns because I could achieve more detail, while also giving the lines soft edges that mimic the frosted effect

  'Andy Holden lives and works in Bedfordshire, UK Works can be found in the permanent collections of Tate Gallery, Leeds Art Gallery, Bristol Museum, Arts Council Collection and Zabludowicz Collection in the UK and various collections in Europe.' -  andyholdenartist.com/andyholdencv   I first saw Holden's work at the British Art Show 9 in Wolverhampton. I was totally enamoured of his 'Cat-tharsis' piece which is a huge collection of ceramic cats that belonged to his grandmother. They were displayed in glass cases and cabinets, plus there was a video where Holden was candidly talking about the collection, while different cats were shown on the screen.  The audio of him talking gave the piece a more personal vibe, it didn't feel overly serious which created a relaxed atmosphere to the space. It felt honest and intimate. Some of the display cases were shelves with glass doors, and there was also a display of cats on a plinth, protected by a glass box. The cabinets

I think beach combing is one of the most instinctive types of collecting, it's hard to come back from a trip to the seaside without picking up any souvenirs like pebbles, shells and for me, sea glass. Sea Glass Sea glass is made when a broken piece of glass becomes worn down by the sea and sand over many years to create a frosted, cloudy looking pebble - the most common pieces are white and green, but it's really exciting to find an unusual colour or some with traces of a pattern or words. I love walking along the beach and seeing a little pop of colour in the sand and discovering a really nice rounded piece of glass - there are many different shades in my collection. I like to imagine where it came from, what form it took, who used and held it before it was broken, lost and forgotten. Pirate Glass Pirate glass found on the beach will appear black on the outside, but when held up to the light, colours like green, amber and purple may show through. This kind of sea glass usually