Inside Out: Shed and hard standing (Part 3)…

If you look up ‘flow in art’ or some such on the internet you’ll get a rather eclectic selection of posts (once you look past the frustrating AI summary). None of these really describe what it’s like, only those of you have experienced it will understand why this model has come together so quickly…

At the weekend, after a week away from ‘work’ I was casually enjoying a book on my favourite subject, railways, in this case industrial…

I have always found these compelling, and have spent blog posts trying to articulate that connection - pondering if it is purely from early childhood experiences or just the depth of character you find in these idiosyncratic railway systems.

Amongst the pages of close ups of locomotives and wide angle shots of the facility was one photo… that inside out image - I paused, as we all occasionally do on a page of a book, absorbing the composition. I felt a strong energy in the image - not because I’d visited the shed, or stood on those rails. Not a connection through direct experience, but perhaps one through familiarity. I’ve walked over cinder ballast, across dirty shed floors. I’ve taken photos of the tidy clutter of an industrial workshop, and enjoyed being in the presence of sleeping machines. 

The longer I enjoyed the composition the deeper that sense of connection. I noticed shapes, shadows and textures - and amongst the gloom picked out familiar tools and equipment.

The longer I enjoyed the composition the clearer the idea I shared in Part 1 felt.

This connection, this energy has been the fuel, if you like, in the tank.

So the third day of this muse saw continued energy and focus. Fuelled by the inspiration, with energy channelled through my hands, using familiar tools and materials, enjoying every measurement, cut or combination… pausing only to reflect on the technical solution to a result I could see so clearly.

The focus was on details now, adding doors, gutters, roof vents. Procrastination was notable by its absence, instead coffee with the dogs and a sketchbook worked through how to tackle things like the hard standing that could normally have left me stationary for days, weeks perhaps months.

The result, seamless flow. Nothing to interrupt that sense of purpose, of recreating that image.

“I love that the model has come home to the photo that has inspired the work in the first place”.

Kind words from a good friend, thank you Chris.

So, there is still fuel in the tank and I’m poised today, after breakfast and a dog walk to continue. Whilst working on the water tower I’ll ponder the construction of the cameo box, and enjoy the sense of anticipation that has built as a result of this focused attention. Sitting at the bench because it feels like a good thing to do, creating something I felt a strong connection to and enjoying the headspace, especially that…

That last image, an echo of the initial inspiration holds real promise. Until time, time more soon…

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