Nottingham castle: Vessels:

We went to Nottingham Castle to conduct some research and create drawings for our 'vessel' project, I took multiple picture of physical vessels such and chalices, jugs and pots as well as metaphorical vessels such as alabaster sculptors that represented the more metaphorical side of the term vessel like a 'vessel of God'. I enjoyed this exercise as I was able to explore the more abstract and ambiguous ways in which something can be a vessel.  I created several rough sketches and decided to focus on the shapes and silhouettes rather than the finer detail, this allowed me to capture the essence of the vessels while producing multiple sketches quickly. 

My favourite piece was a pale blue wine jug, when looking at it I appreciated the fine detail and the way the blue and white colours complimented each other while providing a contrast, I also liked that mat finish as it took away and shine and allowed the viewer to fully appreciate the work without the risk of a shine or glare from the light distracting them, this jug is fragile but is decorated and presented in a way that I believe makes it feel strong and bold, I think that the fawn sitting onto further proves that as it seems he has been placed and presented in a way to show him as a protector as he has his arms and hands wrapped around the neck of the jug as if shielding it. while sketching this vessel I was able to capture the smooth lines and curves of this jug and convey the strong essence at the core of this piece.

Overall, I believe that this was a useful research trip and I will use my images and drawings in my future work.