A hidden Paradise Charlotte Sleigh

To me it's at a hidden paradise that locks out the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

A distant place that you may think you could only imagine or dream of. 


The air is fresh and clear as though it may have never been breathed in before. The winding maze like lanes lead you down to unknown coves where you can stay for hours on end and not be disturbed. A narrow lane packed in by fields of cows on either side leads you to a hidden farm, a plank of wood suspended from two long pieces of rope tied to an old oak tree gently moves in the summer breeze. 


A large old barn sits besides a stone farm house with ivy crawling up the walls. Stacks of hey are built up to the roof and a slightly rustling noise catches your attention. A little sandy donkey glares at you with his wide brown eyes as though he is welcoming you as birds scatter around above your head in the lofts of the barn.

Through a wide wooden gate is a small caravan that sits between thousands of strands of grass and looks over a sea of patchwork fields. At night the stars glisten and shine through a vast black velvet sheet which rests upon the tops of fields. It's as though your nearly in space. 

The beach is buried underneath a large cliff with steep deep steps cast in the side leading down, a large stretch of wet sand with sinking foot prints in covers miles of ground, the violent sea crashes up against harsh grey rocks which break up the view and section off areas so they become caves and rock pools where people who appear like scattered dots of colour sit. 

 

Arrivals Task- Bringing a garden to Manchester - Ailsa Lishman

Having lived by the countryside for my entire life, Manchester is a stark contrast, coming from green fields and trees, to a concrete jungle. The plants and flowers are what I miss most about home, so much so that I'd like to 'bring' a garden to Manchester. I'd like to explore what a city garden could be like, I know that they do exist, but they are far and few between. I'd also like to explore bringing the outside inside, creating a garden inside the studio perhaps. For me a garden is a place to escape to on a sunny day, to be surrounded by bright flowers and vibrant green leaves, it's generally a place of relaxation, which I think sometimes is needed within the studio. Sometimes it gets tiring looking at grey buildings and grey skys in Manchester, an injection of colour is what's needed, which I think could be achieved by bringing a garden to Manchester.

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Colour plays a big part in why I'm so inspired by gardens and nature, there's so much colour to play with and mix, especially when looking at colour through the seasons, from the firey autumnal colours, the dark winter colours, the vibrant, hot summer colours, and with spring more delicate, flashes of yellow daffodils and green shoots, after a dull winter. 

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The growth of a plant can be fascinating, to look at the roots, and how they wind through the ground, and sprout through the soil, looking at the textures being created, the soft petels against the gravelly soil and the odd hard rock inbetween. Even looking at the more scientific aspect, through plant anatomy, looking at the structure and development of flowering plants. 

Arriving Task

My place of arrival that I chose to work with for this task was Arillas in Corfu, this is where i spent my holiday last year. I chose this place as as soon as i arrived in Corfu there was amazing views from every angle. The entire journey from the airport to my hotel was full of interesting shapes and colours. I selected a few photographs to draw from to show a few of the things i found interesting.

 

Corfu

This was the view not long after leaving the airport, I was fascinated by all the random towns situated inbetween trees and valleys, This one stood out in particular as the way the small buildings and houses gradually lessened as they got further from the road created a great angle.

I loved how the grouping of squares and rectangles also created an interesting cluster of shapes and could be the inspiration for many patterns.

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This image is from when i had arrived at my hotel, It was more beautiful than i had expected and created great photo opportunities, this is  apool side shot that i took as i thought the umberella and bridge created an also postc

 

ard like image. The bright colours and interesting shapes allowed me to use colour in a delicate way and create a very different drawing in comparison to the first.

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This image was one taken by the pool side in the evening time, I really liked the sadows created on the water from the sunset, and as the air is so calm the water is still and creates an almost perfect reflection. The slight silhouettes of the umberellas and tables creates a very photogenic image.

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Arriving Task

The big apple

Wow, amazing totally overwhelming!! This was my exact feelings when stepping off the coach at New York City. It exceeded my expectations. The first thing I remember seeing is huge grey buildings that surrounded me everywhere, the streets full of workers, suits with trainers, not what you would expect I know. The rush and excitement that buzzed around you was fascinating. Walking the streets was a thrilling experience.

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I always remember being so nervous about going to New York with the crime you always heard about, however once there it was amazing how safe I felt, I don’t know if it was the excitement of being in this amazing city or if it was just the fact I wasn’t focusing on being scared any longer. The rush of taxis coming from all directions was like shots of colour ripping through the streets.

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The buildings were like blocks; they were everywhere and looked so neatly organised, all different sizes creating a beautiful landscape. They were truly overwhelming and amazing to look at. Walking through time square was my highlight. The adrenaline pumping through my body, there was just so much colour everywhere; all the buildings had colours darting through them, some decoration, and some advertisement. I didn’t know where to look at first; my attention was being caught from all different directions. Everything was big; they didn’t do things in small!! The noise created by the traffic and the people that filled up the streets was buzzing and I could feel the energy bouncing from them.

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Getting the subway was so frightening yet so exciting, the rush of it, and all the people literally running for their train and rushing from place to place, it was fascinating to watch.

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I always remember one thing that really stuck in my mind from this trip, there was an actual full sized mini attached to a side of a building. I had to look twice just to make sure I wasn’t imagining things; I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and couldn’t help wondering how they got it there.

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